Here’s what you need to know about mpox after the CDC sends an alert to doctors

Doctors are encouraging Americans not to panic about mpox, even after a serious case was recently detected in California and federal health officials sent a notice to doctors to be on the lookout for symptoms , particularly among travelers from parts of Africa where the virus is more widespread. .

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an alert this week to health care workers to be aware of the symptoms of mpox and to report cases of the more serious strain to public health authorities as soon as possible.

The alert came just two days after California reported the nation’s first case of the more serious strain in a traveler from Africa who suffered a mild illness and is now recovering.

MORE: How the US came back from the mpox epidemic

No additional cases of the more serious strain have been reported in the United States, and the CDC says the risk to the general public remains low.

“Right now, mpox is showing up at extremely low levels in the United States,” Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of preventative medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, told ABC News. “So I think awareness among the general public is always a good thing, but I don’t think they really need to be worried.”

Dr. Kelly Gebo, a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University, told ABC News that the CDC has sent similar alerts for other diseases spreading in other parts of the world to inform health care providers health of what was happening.

“I think they’re trying to make sure that health care providers pay attention to it, because it could be that (mpox) presents in a patient who might not be considered for the disease,” a- she declared. “I don’t think they’re trying to alarm the general population, but to encourage health care providers to be more active in testing.”

There are two types of mpox: clade I and clade II, with clade roughly meaning that they are descended from a common ancestor organism. Clade I has historically been associated with severe illness and death, and is endemic in parts of central and west Africa, according to the CDC.

People with mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, often have a rash that may be located on the hands, feet, chest, face, mouth or near the genitals, the CDC said. .

Mpox cases have increased dramatically in the Democratic Republic of Congo this year. Since January 1, there have been 9,000 confirmed cases in Congo and more than 40 confirmed deaths, although the number of suspected cases and deaths is much higher, according to the CDC.

MORE: WHO declares mpox a public health emergency as new strain spreads in Africa

In the United States, 2,368 cases of the less severe strain of mpox have been reported this year as of November 1, according to CDC data. This figure is far lower than the approximately 32,000 cases associated with the 2022 mpox outbreak in the United States.

“People who travel or engage in high-risk activities with people who have potentially traveled to areas where mpox is more prevalent would be at risk,” Gebo said. “But in general, I think for the average American citizen, the risk is very low.”

She added that the incubation period for mpox is typically between three and 18 days, so those who traveled weeks or months ago to parts of Africa where mpox is endemic are not at risk. high risk.

Schaffner said the CDC issuing a warning is a sign that the public health agency is being proactive rather than reactive.

“Mpox kind of receded because the cases were very low in the United States, certainly in the public mind, but also in the public health mind,” he said. “And so it was a reminder of what you’ve heard about what’s happening in Africa, in fact, cases are coming to Europe, and here we had one in the United States. So let’s refresh ourselves about mpox, pay attention to the alert for this.

Schaffner said a big difference between 2022 and today is that there is a vaccine readily available to help prevent mpox.

Currently, the JYNNEOS vaccine, a two-dose vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration to prevent smallpox and pox, is the only vaccine used in the United States.

Data from Africa has shown that two doses of JYNNEOS are at least 85% effective in preventing mpox infection. There is currently no recommendation for a booster in people considered at high risk and already fully vaccinated.

To increase the number of doses of JYNNEOS available, the FDA authorized in August 2022 a proven strategy of injecting the vaccine intradermally, just under the first layer of skin, rather than subcutaneously, or under all layers. of the skin. This allows a vial of vaccine to be administered in five separate doses rather than a single dose.

Schaffner recommended that at-risk groups get vaccinated and that the general population continues to remain vigilant.

“The likelihood of a few cases being imported into this country, as well as perhaps Canada and Western Europe, seems reasonable,” Schaffner said. “We would like to identify them as quickly as possible, provide them with appropriate treatment, and then investigate all of these contacts.”

Youri Benadjaoud of ABC News contributed to this report.

Here’s what you need to know about mpox after the CDC sends an alert to doctors, originally appeared on abcnews.go.com