CDC Health Alert Network: Mpox

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Update to provide additional information about the outbreak of monkeypox virus (MPXV) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); the first Health Advisory about this outbreak was released in Dec. 2023. Since Jan. 2023, the DRC has reported the largest number of yearly suspected clade I mpox cases on record. While clade I MPXV is endemic, or naturally occurring, in DRC, the current outbreak is more widespread than any previous DRC outbreak and has resulted in clade I mpox transmission to some neighboring countries. Clade I MPXV has previously been observed to be more transmissible and to cause a higher proportion of severe infections than clade II MPXV. The ongoing global mpox outbreak that began in 2022 is caused by clade II MPXV, and cases continue to be reported worldwide. No cases of clade I mpox have been reported outside central and eastern Africa at this time. Because there is a risk of additional spread, CDC recommends clinicians and jurisdictions in the United States maintain a heightened index of suspicion for mpox in patients who have recently been in DRC or to any country sharing a border with DRC (ROC, Angola, Zambia, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, South Sudan, Central African Republic) and present with signs and symptoms consistent with mpox. These can include: rash that may be located on the hands, feet, chest, face, mouth, or near the genitals; fever; chills; swollen lymph nodes; fatigue; myalgia (muscle aches and backache); headache; and respiratory symptoms like sore throat, nasal congestion, and cough.

The post CDC Health Alert Network: Mpox appeared first on Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health.