A visitor returning from Africa has imported into the United States entirely a new strain of mpox, in which the pathogen was first detected in eastern Congo.
The rapid spread of this strain across the globe has triggered demands for urgent vaccination in affected areas, despite the danger to the population being still at a low level.
The virus was brought from eastern Congo, and health officials confirmed that it is a new mpox variety and the country’s first case in the United States.
The California Department of Public Health said that the person who recently traveled to eastern Africa is recovering after being treated in Northern California. Authorities stress that there is still low risk for the general public.
The mpox virus, which is an unusual disease caused by a virus closely related to smallpox, is endemic in parts of Africa. This new variant is transferred by close human contacts, including sexual activities, and is usually transmitted through animal bites.
Since September, the new strain has already been reported in more than 3,100 cases from around the world including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Uganda. Cases have also been discovered among tourists in countries like the UK, Germany, and India.
There are measures in place that will stop the epidemic. According to the estimates of the Africa CDC, at least 3 million doses of vaccines are required in Congo in order to end it, and the entire continent needs an extra 7 million. Fortunately, there are signs that the situation in the Congo might be stabilizing.
The recent outbreak of the global mpox in 2022, which predominantly involved gay and bisexual men, is not like this outbreak.
Experts emphasize vaccination and public education for this eventually mutating virus to bring an end to the spread of such outbreaks.
The case points out how interlinked the health of the world is and how urgent it is that preventative measures be taken as health authorities monitor progress.
