What You Need To Know
CDC issued a Health Update through the CDC Health Alert Network to provide additional details to clinicians and health departments about the ongoing outbreak of mpox caused by Clade I Monkeypox virus (MPXV) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and additional spread of Clade I mpox to neighboring central and eastern African countries. The CDC Health Update is attached to this message.
MPXV has two distinct clades, and cases of Clade I have not been reported in the United States at this time. Clade I MPXV has previously been observed to be more transmissible and to cause more severe infections than Clade II.
Due to the limited number of travelers and lack of direct commercial flights from DRC or its neighboring countries, the risk of clade I mpox importation to the United States is considered low, however clinicians should be aware of the possibility of Clade I MPXV in travelers who have recently been in DRC or a country sharing a border with DRC and who have clinical signs consistent with mpox.