The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Saturday that they have confirmed the first case of the more virulent strain of clade I Mpox in the United States.
The individual who was diagnosed in California recently traveled from Eastern Africa, had treatment at a nearby medical institution, and was then released.
While the latest case is connected to an ongoing clade I Mpox outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa, the FDA stated that the new strain Mpox still poses a minimal risk to the US public at large.
The agency reports that the infected individual has been isolated at home since being released, is not receiving Mpox-specific therapy, and that their symptoms are getting better.
Meanwhile, the African continent is still in the acute phase of the Mpox outbreak as the number of cases reported so far this year surpassed the 50,000 mark, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has warned.
Mpox, known as monkeypox, was first detected in laboratory monkeys in 1958. It is a rare viral disease typically spread through body fluids, respiratory droplets, and other contaminated materials.
The infection usually causes fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes. In mid-August, the Africa CDC declared the ongoing Mpox outbreak in Africa a public health emergency of continental security.
Soon after, the World Health Organization also declared Mpox a public health emergency of international concern, activating its highest level of global alert for Mpox for the second time in two years.
