U.S. confirms first case of more aggressive strain of mpox
The U.S. is the sixth country outside of Africa to confirm a case of the strain, called clade I, since August.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/us-first-mpox-case-aggressive-strain-rcna167403
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Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral infection that causes painful lesions, often accompanied by flu-like symptoms. It is classified into two distinct groups: the more aggressive strain, clade I, and a somewhat milder strain, clade II.
Clade II was behind the global outbreak in 2022, which resulted in at least 32,000 infections and 58 deaths in the U.S. ...............
Additionally, the country has an adequate supply of the two-dose Jynneos vaccine, which is available to men who have sex with men and other high-risk groups. The Department of Health and Human Service says two doses of the vaccine or a previous infection should protect against severe illness from clade I.
The U.S. administered around 1.2 million vaccine doses from May 2022 to January 2023. Health officials hope to expand that coverage, since just 23% of the population at significant risk has been fully vaccinated.
Mpox typically starts with a rash that progresses to small bumps on the skin, followed by fluid-filled blisters that eventually scab over. People may also experience a fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy or swollen lymph nodes.
Some people infected by clade II in the U.S. have described the lesions as exceedingly painful. They have historically appeared on the face, chest, palms of the hands and the soles of the feet, but during the 2022 outbreak, people developed lesions around the genital and anal region or inside the mouth and throat.
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