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Accessibility statementSkip to main content Democracy Dies in Darkness SubscribeSign in Democracy Dies in Darkness HealthHealth CareMedical MysteriesScienceWell+Being HealthHealth CareMedical MysteriesScienceWell+Being Africa FIRST U.S. CASE OF DEADLIER MPOX VIRUS STRAIN REPORTED IN CALIFORNIA Person is recovering after traveling from Africa, where an outbreak that has killed hundreds is spreading. 5 min 163 Patients receive treatment in September for mpox at a hospital in Congo, hardest hit in the current outbreak. (Arlette Bashizi/Bloomberg) By Lena H. Sun November 16, 2024 at 3:47 p.m. EST A California resident has been infected with the more severe type of mpox virus, the first U.S. case of a virus that has sickened thousands and killed hundreds in an outbreak in central and eastern Africa, health officials said Saturday. Subscribe for unlimited access to The Post Save up to 75% for a limited time. Get your first year for $2 every four weeks The individual, who recently traveled from Africa, is isolating at home and recovering after receiving care in San Mateo County, according to the California Department of Public Health. California health officials did not share specifics about where the person traveled, when or where the person sought medical care, or what treatment the person received. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the individual was treated shortly after returning from eastern Africa and received care at a local medical facility and was released. Specimens are being sent to the CDC for additional viral characterization. Advertisement Story continues below advertisement “There is no concern or evidence that this form of the mpox virus, clade 1, is currently spreading between individuals in California or the United States,” the California health department said in a statement. Nevertheless, public health workers are notifying close contacts of person, the department said. 🧘 Follow Health & wellness Follow The zoonotic virus causes flu-like symptoms and a rash with painful lesions. But it can cause severe illness and, in rare cases, death. Risk to the general public is low, officials said. Casual contact, such as during travel, in an office or in a store, is unlikely to pose significant risks for transmission. The recent clade 1 mpox cases related to travel from Africa have been associated with relatively mild disease compared with cases within Africa because patients have had access to better medical care once they return home. Advertisement Story continues below advertisement Earlier this month, the UK Health Security Agency reported its first case of clade 1 mpox in someone who had traveled to an affected eastern African country and then spread the virus to three household contacts. Travel-associated cases have been reported in Germany, India, Kenya, Sweden, Thailand, Zambia and Zimbabwe. U.S. officials have said the risk of this mpox strain to the United States is low because of the lack of direct commercial flights from Congo or its neighboring countries. “We all felt it was bound to happen because of travel, and spread is happening in other countries,” said Lauren Sauer, director of the Special Pathogens Research Network within a government-funded consortium of medical centers focused on training and education. Story continues below advertisement Global health authorities have been sounding the alarm for months about ongoing spread of the clade 1 strain because it has historically caused more severe illness and death than the clade 2 version of mpox, which spread globally in 2022, with sporadic cases still being reported in the United States. Advertisement In August, the World Health Organization declared mpox an international health emergency in response to the growing outbreak in Africa, including some countries for the first time. It was the second time in two years that mpox, formerly called monkeypox, has been declared an international health emergency. CDC officials issued a health advisory around the same time, urging U.S. clinicians and state and local health officials to suspect mpox in symptomatic people who have recently been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the center of the outbreak, or any of its bordering countries. Story continues below advertisement Mpox is usually a mild infection with symptoms that start as fever, low energy, swollen lymph nodes and general body aches. Within about three days, a rash or sores can develop. The rash or sores, which can be located anywhere on the body including near the genitals and anus, can look like pimples or blisters and may be painful and itchy. Symptoms typically last between two and four weeks. Advertisement The virus spreads through close or intimate contact with an infected person, including living in close quarters or through sexual contact. It can also spread via contact with contaminated items belonging to an infected person, such as clothing or bedding. In parts of Africa that regularly have mpox cases, the virus can be spread from contact with infected wild animals. The CDC urges people to protect against mpox by avoiding close contact with people who have symptoms, such as skin or genital lesions; avoiding contact with contaminated materials used by people who are sick; and if eligible, getting both recommended doses of mpox vaccine. Story continues below advertisement While the global outbreak in 2022 was largely driven by male-to-male sexual contact, health officials in the current outbreak have identified spread in heterosexual networks, including when male travelers solicit female sex workers in parts of Congo close to other countries. A significant number of cases have been reported in children under 15, many of them showing up at clinics desperately ill, with blisters and fevers, according to health officials and aid workers. Advertisement At least 19 countries in Africa have reported mpox. Congo has been hardest hit, with more than 38,000 suspected cases and more than 1,000 deaths reported this year, according to the World Health Organization and the Africa CDC. Health officials and aid workers have said the high number of children with mpox in Congo likely reflects conflict-driven displacement that is forcing children into crowded living conditions, an overtaxed and weak health system, lack of access to disinfection and cleaning supplies, and malnutrition. Share 163 Comments NewsletterDaily Today’s Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors, delivered every morning. Sign up PAID PROMOTED STORIES Subscribe to comment and get the full experience. Choose your plan → Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Company About The Post Newsroom Policies & Standards Diversity & Inclusion Careers Media & Community Relations WP Creative Group Accessibility Statement Sections Trending Politics Elections Opinions National World Style Sports Business Climate Well+Being D.C., Md., & Va. 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