US doctors on guard for strain of mpox spreading in Africa

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sent a notice this week to health care professionals to be on guard for a strain of mpox that has spread through parts of Africa. The announcement comes as the World Health Organization said it is considering declaring mpox a global health emergency.

Clade I mpox cases have been detected in nations such as Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda. Previously, the clade I strain was detected spreading in nations such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic.

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The CDC said that there have been more than 22,000 suspected cases, with more than 1,200 suspected deaths, in the DRC since Jan. 1, 2023 tied to the clade I strain of mpox. Between 2016 and 2021, the DRC averaged about 3,767 cases per year tied to the strain.

The CDC notes that because there are limited direct flights between the U.S. and the region affected, the risk to Americans who have not traveled to Central Africa remains low.

U.S. health officials say doctors should maintain a heightened alertness for possible mpox for those who have recently been to the DRC or any country sharing a border with the DRC.

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In most cases, mpox is painful but not life-threatening.

Typical symptoms of mpox include a rash, fever, malaise, headache, and muscle aches.

In 2022, during the height of a worldwide outbreak, vaccines were scarce while demand was high. Federal officials worked to make 2.5 million vaccines available to the public.