The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on the 16th that the California Department of Public Health confirmed a case of monkeypox branch I virus infection in the state through laboratory testing. This is the first time such an infection has been detected in the United States.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that this case is related to the ongoing outbreak of monkeypox clade I virus in Central and East Africa. The patient had a recent travel history to East Africa and was treated at a local medical facility after returning to the United States. The patient has been in isolation at home since discharge, without receiving specialized treatment for monkeypox, and his symptoms are improving.
According to reports, monkeypox is a zoonotic disease caused by monkeypox virus infection. Monkeypox virus currently has branch I and branch II types. Different branches of monkeypox viruses have different characteristics, and their differences are reflected in the infection targets, modes of transmission, and mortality rates. Monkeypox clade II virus has been circulating in the United States since 2022, but no case of monkeypox clade I virus infection has ever been reported in the country.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the monkeypox clade I virus poses a low health risk to the public. In the current epidemics in Africa and other places, the symptoms and mortality caused by monkeypox branch I virus infection are not as severe as in previous epidemics. After patients receive good medical treatment, the mortality rate is about 1%.
The center advises the public to avoid close contact with patients with monkeypox symptoms, avoid contact with items used by monkeypox patients, and, if eligible, get the monkeypox vaccine.
According to reports, the most common symptom of monkeypox is a rash, which is more common on the face and limbs, and may also appear on the genitals and other parts. The incubation period of monkeypox generally ranges from 3 days to 17 days.