NH resident diagnosed with third case of clade I mpox in US
Feb. 7—A New Hampshire resident has been diagnosed with clade I mpox, one of two types of the virus formerly called monkeypox, following a trip to eastern Africa, state health officials said Friday.
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Division of Public Health Services said this is the third known case of clade I mpox in the United States, and the first diagnosis in the Granite State. The other two cases were in California in November and Georgia in January. Both of those cases are also connected to travel, officials said.
The patient, identified by officials as an adult from Merrimack County, is currently self-isolating and recovering at home.
The individual's illness poses no current risk to the public, DHHS said. The person's illness is "likely related to their recent travel, and there is no evidence that clade I mpox is spreading from person-to-person in New Hampshire or within the United States," DHHS said in a release.
State health officials are looking to identify anyone who may have had close contact with the individual. No public locations where exposure may have occurred have been identified.
"The mpox virus is spread primarily through direct physical contact with someone who has mpox and has developed an infectious skin rash," state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan said in a statement. "Public health is working to identify and notify people who had close contact with the individual, so we can connect them with preventive vaccination and help them to monitor for symptoms of mpox."
The mpox virus is not spread through the air, officials said.
Clade I mpox historically has caused more severe illness than clade II mpox, the type behind a global outbreak in 2022. Clade I mpox outbreaks have had death rates of up to 10%, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said recent outbreaks have had death rates of 1-3.3%.
People with mpox develop an infectious rash that changes over time as a person's illness progresses. The rash can look like pimples or blisters that are painful or itchy. Over time, the rash can spread, and the skin lesions will slowly develop a scab or crust before going away over several weeks.
Other symptoms of mpox can include fever, chills, headache, exhaustion, muscle aches, sore throat or swollen lymph nodes. A person with mpox can spread the virus when they first develop symptoms, then remain contagious until their rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed.
Anyone traveling to central or eastern Africa or who believes they might have a risk factor for mpox is advised to talk to a health care provider about whether the JYNNEOS vaccine is recommended.
Those with questions about mpox should contact the Division of Public Health Services at 603-271-4496. For more information about mpox, visit the DHHS mpox webpage.
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