The United States confirmed on Saturday a more aggressive strain of mpox — the first such case in the country.
The California Department of Public Health confirmed the individual had recently traveled from Eastern Africa.
The person was treated in San Diego and is currently isolating while recovering. Public health workers are contacting people who had close contact with the person, “but there is no concern or evidence” that the strain is currently spreading in the United States.
According to the CDC, the United States is the sixth country outside Africa to contract the virus, which is causing severe illness than the stain did in 2022.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral infection that causes painful lesions, often accompanied by flu-like symptoms.
Mpox spreads through direct contact with an infected person, animals, or contaminated items like clothing or bedding. The strain that spread in 2022 was passed primarily through sexual contact, particularly among men who have sex with men.
