New mpox strain causes outbreak in Africa. What to know about cases in Kentucky
A new strain of mpox has triggered an outbreak in Africa and prompted the World Health Organization to declare a new global health emergency.
While similar to the previous mpox strain in 2022, the latest strain is considered more dangerous with a higher mortality rate. It hasn’t yet made it to the U.S., but health officials here are already getting the word out and urging at-risk groups to get vaccinated.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is no longer called that due to the name’s roots in anti-Black racism. Mpox also does not come from monkeys. It was first isolated from a monkey in Africa, but the reservoir for the virus is rodents, particularly those of Central and West Africa.
Here’s what to know about mpox and recent cases in Kentucky.
What to know about the new mpox strain
Clade 1 — a new, highly infectious and severe strain of the mpox virus — is causing an outbreak in Central Africa. The exact strain is called clade 1b.
This latest strain is different from mpox clade 2, which was responsible for the previous outbreak in 2022. The development has prompted the WHO to declare an mpox global health emergency for the second time in two years, according to NBC News.
What sets this latest mpox strain apart is it’s more severe and has a higher mortality rate, up to 10% in some cases.
The new strain has not been detected in the U.S., but there have been confirmed cases in Sweden and possibly Pakistan, according to Fortune.
According to Brice Mitchell, a spokesperson for the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, the commonwealth has seen a total of 111 cases since spring 2022. Zero deaths have been reported.
“Disease transmission has slowed in the U.S. and Kentucky but still occurs at low levels with cases occasionally being reported,” Mitchell told the Herald-Leader in an emailed statement Friday.
Mitchell noted more than 7,000 doses of the mpox JYNNEOS vaccine have been administered in Kentucky.
What are the symptoms of mpox?
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people infected with mpox often develop a rash that can appear on the hands, feet, chest, face, mouth or near the genitals. The virus typically takes three to 17 days to incubate, and during this time a person does not experience symptoms and may feel perfectly healthy.
When the telltale rash does appear, it can initially resemble pimples or blisters that may feel painful or itchy. The rash eventually scabs over and heals. That said, some individuals do experience residual scarring as a result of their infection.
In most cases, mpox symptoms begin within 21 days of exposure. Flu-like symptoms usually forebode the development of the rash within one to four days. A person with mpox can spread it to others, mainly through close contact, until symptoms resolve and the rash has healed over. In some cases, however, people can spread mpox to others one to four days before their symptoms appear, per the CDC.
Other symptoms of mpox can include the following. People who develop mpox can experience all or only a few of these symptoms:
Fever
Chills
Swollen lymph nodes
Exhaustion
Muscle aches and backache
Headache
Respiratory symptoms
Who’s most at risk for mpox?
Men who have sex with men, particularly those with multiple sexual partners, are at risk.
It’s worth underscoring that mpox exposure is not just a concern for the LGBTQ+ community, and anyone can contract the virus through close contact with infected individuals or contaminated objects.
Other vulnerable groups include:
Individuals with compromised immune systems, such as people who are HIV positive, those with autoimmune diseases or even people who take immunosuppressive medical treatments (chemotherapy, for example).
Elderly people
Children and pregnant people may experience more severe outcomes
Health care workers who come into contact with infected individuals
Close contacts of infected individuals, such as sexual partners and household members
People living in areas with ongoing outbreaks
For help with getting vaccinated, the CDC has an updated vaccine finder tool available to use online at cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/vaccines.
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