Mpox outbreak reported in Cleveland area after 11 cases reported: What is the disease?
Health officials in Ohio have announced an mpox outbreak after 11 cases have been reported in recent months.
Since February, there have been 11 reported cases within Cuyahoga County, which encompasses Cleveland and surrounding suburbs. Eleven have been reported in the Cuyahoga County and 12 have been reported within the state, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) said.
Joyous Van Meter, disease and emergency preparedness supervisor, at Cuyahoga County Board of Health told USA TODAY all of the reported cases are men.
"I believe they are all male or trans men," she said.
Individuals that have been affected by the viral infection are between the ages of 17 to 44 years old, the department said.
The department is urging health care providers to look out for mpox symptoms such as lesions and rashes, especially among Black men who have sex with men, a demographic that has been disproportionately affected by the disease.
"The Ohio Department of Health is working with our local partners in the Cuyahoga County and city of Cleveland health departments to identify cases, as well as provide guidance regarding vaccinations of at-risk populations," Ken Gordon, a spokesman for ODH told USA TODAY. "ODH also is sharing prevention messages that the local health departments may use in their communities."
What is mpox?
Formerly known as Monkeypox, mpox is a part of the same virus family that causes smallpox. It is a disease that often spreads through bodily fluids and contact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.
The disease was first discovered in 1958 at an animal facility in Denmark. The pox-like outbreak occurred where monkeys were being kept for research, the National Institutes of Health said.
Mpox is a zoonotic disease which means it can carried in animals like African giant pouched rats, apes, dormice, monkeys, rope squirrels and tree squirrels, the American Veterinary Medical Association said.
Although mpox primarily affects bisexual and homosexual men, the virus can spread to everyone regardless of sexual orientation or gender, the CDC said.
What to know, who is eligible: CDC's mpox alert for summer puts focus on JYNNEOS vaccine
Mpox symptoms
The CDC says many people who contract mpox will have a rash on their hands, feet, chest, face, mouth or near their genitals. The rash can start out as a pimple or blisters and over time can become very painful. Other symptoms of mpox include:
Fever
Chills
Swollen lymph nodes
Exhaustion
Muscle aches and backache
Headache
Respiratory symptoms (e.g., sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough)
Who’s at risk?
The CDC lists the following groups as the most at risk for being infected with mpox. People:
Who are immunocompromised
With a history of eczema
Who are pregnant
Children under the age of 1
Mpox vaccine
The JYNNEOSvaccine is available for those who have contracted mpox or have a sexual partner who had a known or expected exposure to mpox. A full list of people who are recommended to get the vaccine is available on the CDC website.
"It's even more effective if people take it before any contact occurs," Van Meter said.
How officials are looking to curb the spread
The Cuyahoga County Board of Health explained what they are doing to help with the current mpox outbreak.
"We're doing our usual case investigation work, talking to anyone diagnosed with mpox, finding out who they've been around, talking to those people and getting them either the vaccine or testing depending on if they have symptoms," Van Meter said. "We've been able to catch a few cases that way and prevent [the] spread."
Women not the highest risk category, but still vulnerable
Van Meter explained that mpox can spread to women too.
"Women are at risk also," she said. "They're not in the highest risk categories, but anyone who has close contact with people who are are in the higher risk categories becomes a risk category also."
Cases still down from 2022
Although Ohio currently has an mpox outbreak in 2024, the ODH explained that the state's case count is still significantly below 2022 numbers.
"In 2022, the state of Ohio had 393 cases of mpox. Since then, both nationally and in Ohio, there has been continued low-level transmission. The total cases in Ohio fell to 28 in 2023," Gordon said. "The state has had 23 cases so far in 2024, including 11 in Cuyahoga County. Of the 23 cases statewide this year, 22 are male and one is female."
Mpox declared an epidemic in the Republic of Congo
The Republic of the Congo has declared an epidemic of Mpox after 19 cases were confirmed across five departments, including the capital Brazzaville, Reuters reported.
On Tuesday, the Health Minister Gilbert Mokoki said in a statement that no deaths have been recorded yet.
In addition, Mokoki called on the public to take precautions including avoiding close contact with suspected cases, avoiding contact with animals and avoiding handling game meat with bare hands.
Contributing: Reuters
Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter) @forbesfineest.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mpox outbreak reported in Cuyahoga County, Ohio: Symptoms, risks, more
