US STEPPING UP FOR POSSIBLE ARRIVAL OF SEVERE MPOX STRAIN, SAY OFFICIALS
The United States is preparing for the possible arrival of a more severe version of the Mpox virus, which has killed nearly 1,000 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other African countries, senior government officials have said. According to statistics by the World Health Organisation, there have been more than 24,800 reported cases of the Clade 1B virus.
The WHO declared the outbreak a global public health emergency in August. Since then, cases of clade 1B have been confirmed in Sweden, Thailand, and Pakistan several days later.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Clade 1B is super severe and can kill up to 10 per cent of infected people, even though recent death rates have been around 1-3.3 per cent. A different version of Mpox - clade 2, triggered a global outbreak in 2022 and a surge of cases in the US.
Related News |US government says gearing up for cases
Senior officials from the Biden administration have said that as infections have risen in Africa, the US is now gearing up for its own cases. “We’ve been preparing for the arrival of clade 1 in the United States for many months now, especially as we saw the outbreak in DRC and neighboring countries accelerate,” officials told a news conference.Officials say the government is now expanding its Mpox surveillance efforts, through wastewater analysis, and is reaching out to the medical community to educate members on what to watch for, including the severity of clade 1B and how it spreads.
Mpox testing being made available widely Related News |
Testing for Mpox is also being taken seriously, officials say. CDC says doctors can now order an Mpox test that can be run through a national laboratory and if tested negative for clade 2, the doctor can make a presumptive diagnosis of clade 1. The diagnosis, however, will need to be officially confirmed by the CDC.Vaccines being promoted
Health officials are also encouraging those who are at the highest risk factors – mainly gay and bisexual men, to get vaccinated for the virus. The Jynneos vaccine is given in two doses. CDC says it is highly effective against both clade 1 and clade 2 of Mpox.Those who have health insurance can also get the vaccine at major pharmacy retail chains, including Walmart. The vaccine, however, is available for free at public health departments and community health centers.
Mpox causes flu-like symptoms and painful lesions that spread through close skin-to-skin contact, including sexual activity. The increased efforts aim to manage and prevent the spread of this new strain and protect public health.
2024-09-07T22:59:25Z dg43tfdfdgfd