Mpox SPOTREP #2

November 21, 2024  /  TLP:CLEAR

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Contents

• Situation Overview and Key Updates
• Mpox Treatments

*Updated information has been included in orange text.

Situation Overview and Key Updates

• On November 15, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Health Advisory Network (HAN) after confirming the first case of clade I mpox in the US, a more severe variant than clade II which has been seen in the US since 2022.
  • The patient had recently traveled to regions in Central Africa with ongoing clade I mpox outbreaks. He had shown mild symptoms and is in the recovery phase.
  • There have been no additional cases of clade I mpox in the US and CDC has stated that the overall risk to the US remains low.
• With the first case of clade I mpox in the US, it is now more important than ever for clinicians and public health professionals to monitor, report, test, and consider mpox as a possible diagnosis in patients in the US.
  • Clinicians should send specimens to their appropriate state public health laboratories for initial testing. If authorized by the state health department to send specimens directly to CDC for testing, contact CDC at poxviruslab@cdc.gov for further information.
• Based on historical data, young children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals are at the highest risk of severe illness from mpox.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) had declared mpox a public health emergency of internation concern back in August due to the resurgence of mpox in Africa and the spread of clade I.
• Healthcare Ready has been monitoring the mpox outbreak and has a dedicated webpage for situation overviews, past spot reports, and resources.

Mpox Treatments

• The CDC recommends two doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine for people in the US at risk of mpox. It is expected to protect against all clades of mpox.
• As of November 20, the first mpox vaccine for children, LC16M8, has been authorized for emergency use by the WHO. Japan is donating over 3 million doses of it to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has the highest number of mpox cases.
• There are no current treatments specifically for mpox infections, however supportive care and pain control (ibuprofen, naproxen, acetaminophen) can help patients recover without medical treatment. 
  • Tecovirimat is the recommended therapeutic for the treatment of patients with mpox.  
  • Brincidofovir, Vaccinia Immune Globulin, and Cidofovir are all additional therapeutics that can be administered as an alternative to tecovirimat.  

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