Overview

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning about a dangerous strain of the mpox virus, known as clade 1, spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
• This strain, which has a 10% fatality rate, is spreading through sexual contact and is more severe than the clade 2 strain that was associated with the 2022-23 global outbreak.
• No cases of clade 1 mpox have been reported in the United States, but there have been recent reports of mpox cases in Rhode Island and Nashville, Tennessee.
• The CDC is urging doctors and health departments to be on the lookout for this strain and to consider mpox when evaluating the cause of rashes.
• The mpox vaccine, JYNNEOS, is recommended for people at risk, but vaccination coverage in the US is low with only 1 in 4 people who are eligible having received both doses.