California officials are investigating a potential local spread of clade I mpox, a strain more severe than clade II, which has circulated at low levels across the U.S. since 2022.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has identified three clade I mpox cases, according to an Oct. 17 news release from the department. None of the cases are linked to travel, and “no clear link has been identified” among them. This is a first in the U.S., the department said.
One individual was hospitalized and is now recovering at home, according to the release. Risk to the general public is low.
So far this year, the Los Angeles County public health department has identified 118 cases of clade II mpox, a more moderate and common strain in the U.S.
Several African countries have experienced clade I mpox outbreaks, with more than 57,000 confirmed or suspected cases and nearly 1,200 deaths as of November 2024, according to The New York Times. California has recorded a clade I case before, but it was tied to travel to East Africa.
