The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a second health alert on Tuesday to inform clinicians and health departments about a lethal strain of the mpox virus spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Earlier in the day, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that an emergency committee would be convened to determine if the current mpox outbreak in the DRC constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.
This mpox outbreak in Congo has already resulted in approximately 27,000 cases and over 1,100 fatalities, predominantly among children, since the start of 2023. The CDC's alert pertains to the spread of a subtype of the mpox virus known as Clade I from the DRC to neighboring countries. Clade I typically causes more severe infections compared to another subtype, Clade II. However, the CDC noted that the risk of Clade I infection spreading in the U.S. is currently very low.
The health agency advises U.S. clinicians to maintain a "heightened index of suspicion" for mpox in individuals who have recently been in the DRC or countries that share borders with the DRC. The CDC also stated that no cases of mpox have been reported outside of central and eastern Africa at this time.
