Clade I Mpox case reported in New Hampshire
An adult from Merrimack County, New Hampshire, recently traveled to Eastern Africa, has been diagnosed with clade I mpox.
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of Public Health Services (DPHS) reports the individual’s illness is likely related to their recent travel to East Africa, where there is an ongoing outbreak of clade I mpox.
Officials say there is no evidence that clade I mpox is spreading from person-to-person in New Hampshire or within the United States.
The patients is currently self-isolating and recovering at home. The individual’s illness poses no current risk to the public.
This is the first clade I mpox diagnosis in New Hampshire and the third in the US (California, Georgia).
DHHS is conducting a disease investigation to identify anyone who may have had close contact with the individual.
“The mpox virus is spread primarily through direct physical contact with someone who has mpox and has developed an infectious skin rash,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan. “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.”
Mpox, formerly monkeypox, is a disease caused by two different genetic types of the mpox virus, called clade I and clade II. Clade II mpox has continued to circulate at low levels in the United States since a widespread outbreak occurred in 2022. More recently, clade I mpox has been causing outbreaks in Central and Eastern Africa. Both types of the virus spread primarily through direct physical contact with a symptomatic person with mpox or through contact with used items contaminated with the mpox virus. The mpox virus is not spread through the air.
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 then slowly the skin lesions 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 starting when they first develop symptoms, and they remain contagious until their rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has formed.
If you are traveling to Central or Eastern Africa or if you believe you might have a risk factor for mpox, talk to your healthcare provider about whether the JYNNEOS vaccine is recommended for you.