A deadlier strain of the mpox virus has since emerged.
Its clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives.
No cases of the new strain have been detected in the United States.
Photo Illustration by Ellen Linder for Verywell Health / Getty Images and Unsplash
What Is Mpox?
Mpox was first discovered in monkeys, which led to its original name, monkeypox.
Scientists now think the virus originated in rodents.
Mpoxis a viral infection that is sparked by an orthopoxvirus, the same family that causessmallpox.
An mpox infection may first feel like getting the flu.
People often experience fever, headaches, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, and fatigue.
After a few days, a rash or lesions appear.
Mpox was detected in humans in 1970 in the DRC.
Its now considered endemic to countries in central and west Africa.
In that outbreak, the disease was transmitted mostly through sexual contact.
A Potentially More Dangerous Viral Strain
The new mpox strain is called clade 1.
Historically, the mortality rate for people infected with clade 1 is between 5% and 10%.
Like clade 2, clade 1 appears to spread through close contact and especially through sexual transmission.
The WHO says the number of cases is probably higher because many of them havent been tested.
How to Prevent and Treat Mpox
Thempox vaccineavailable in the U.S. is called Jynneos.
Its a two-dose series, with the second shot given four weeks after the first.
Two shots are required to be protected from the disease.
Theres no treatment approved for treating mpox, specifically.
For most people, the symptoms will go away on their own after a few weeks.
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