Two cases of the more dangerous strain of smallpox were confirmed in Los Angeles County this week.
It’s the first time this specific type of smallpox, known as “Clade I,” has been found in the United States among people with no history of foreign travel to high-risk areas.
The first case, was publicly reported on Tuesdayinvolving a Long Beach resident. the second, I mentioned Thursday, he was in a Los Angeles County resident. Both patients required hospitalization but are now recovering at home, health officials said.
“Although the overall risk of exposure to the public remains low, we take this matter very seriously,” Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement. “This underscores the importance of continuous monitoring, early response and vaccination.”
This type of smallpox is different from the one that led to a global outbreak in 2022, which is known as “Clade II.”
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said it is potentially more concerning, because it may cause more serious illness and spread more easily, “including through close personal contact,” such as massaging or hugging, as well as sex.
“The identification of cases of Clade I mpox, which may cause more severe disease than the more common Clade II, is concerning,” Dr. Montu Davis, Los Angeles County health officer, said in a statement Thursday.
The California Department of Public Health said last year that type 1 has historically caused more severe illness than type 2, but He added “Recent infection with type 1 smallpox may not be as clinically serious as in previous outbreaks, especially when cases receive good medical care.”
Health officials say smallpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is spread primarily through close, intimate contact, such as bodily fluids, sores, shared bedding or shared clothing, as well as kissing, coughing and sneezing.
Symptoms “include a rash or unusual sores that look like pimples or pus-filled blisters on the face, body and genitals, fever, chills, headache, muscle aches or swollen lymph nodes,” the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said. Other symptoms can include a sore throat.
“Anyone who develops an unexplained rash or lesions should avoid sex and intimate contact and seek medical evaluation as soon as possible,” the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services said.
Officials said people should get tested if they have symptoms. Those who have symptoms should also avoid sex or close contact.
Clade II mpox generally causes mild to moderate disease, and has been spreading at low levels throughout the United States since 2022, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.
118 cases of Clade II mpox virus have been reported to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health so far this year.
Before this week, there were a total of six Cases Of type 1 smallpox in the United States – all among people who have recently traveled to areas where this type of smallpox is common, namely Central and East Africa. None of these cases have been linked to each other, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC says there have been more than 40,000 cases of type 1 smallpox In Central and East Africa.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one of the countries with confirmed cases, multiple routes of transmission of smallpox type 1 have been documented, including “contact with dead or live infected wild animals” and “household contact often involving crowded households,” as well as sexual contact. according to Center for Disease Control.
These countries in Central and East Africa have reported cases of smallpox type 1 since 2024.
(US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
The CDC says the risk to the general U.S. population in the United States from Clade I mpox is considered “low.” The agency classifies the risk to gay and bisexual men who have sex with more than one partner as “low to moderate.”
Travel-related cases of smallpox I have also been found in a number of other regions globally, including Asia, Australia, Europe and South America.
It was the first case of Clade I mpox in the United States I mentioned 11 months ago – In a person in California who traveled to Africa and received care in San Mateo County, according to the CDC and California Department of Public Health. This person was suffering from mild illness, according to the San Mateo County Health Department He said at that time.
The Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services said most infected people improve within two to four weeks, “but antiviral treatments may be considered for individuals who have or are at risk for severe disease.”
Two doses of Genius Serum Also available to help prevent the spread of mpox.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said those who have only gotten one dose can get their second doses “regardless of how long it has been since the first dose.”
Vaccines are widely available and can be found at pharmacies such as Walgreens and CVS. People can search for sites to get vaccinated through the vaccine manufacturer, North Bavarian. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health as well He maintains List of vaccination sites.
The vaccine is available for people at high risk of contracting the disease, including those who have been exposed to an infected person within the past two weeks.
Also eligible for vaccination are gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men; Transgender, non-binary or gender diverse people; People infected with HIV. People who are eligible for or are taking medications to prevent contracting HIV through sexual intercourse or injection drug use; People traveling to sub-Saharan Africa or areas where smallpox type 1 is common; People who plan to attend a commercial sexual event or venue, such as a sex club or bathhouse; People who have a sexual partner are at greater risk of infection; And anyone else requesting vaccination against MPOX.
Officials also recommend that people with occupational risks of infection, such as some laboratory workers, get vaccinated as well.