California reports 1st case of mpox's severe strain

By Efe Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) – The first case of a severe strain of mpox has been confirmed in California, with the virus discovered in a person who arrived from an east African country, ABC News reported on Sunday, citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The public risk remains low as the person was treated at a local medical facility shortly after returning to the US, the CDC said, adding that health officials are working to identify anyone who may have been exposed to the person.

This is the first confirmed case in the US of the virus's clade 1b strain.

The clade 1b variant is considered more transmissible than previous mpox strains, according to the World Health Organization.

Mpox is a viral disease, formerly called monkeypox before the WHO changed its name in 2022 over complaints that it was racist and stigmatizing.

The zoonotic disease can be transmitted to humans through close physical contact with an infectious person or small wild animal or via contaminated materials.​​​​​​​

Common symptoms include rashes or lesions, as well as a flu-like fever, head and muscle aches, back pain, general weakness, and swollen lymph nodes.