Mpox has been detected at a US prison – here’s everything you need to know
Mpox has been detected at a Fort Dodge Correctional Faciity, an Iowa prison. (Christina House/Getty)
Mpox, the highly infectious disease previously known as monkeypox, has been detected at Fort Dodge Correctional Facility, a prison in Iowa.
The Iowa Department of Corrections (IDOC) has stated that there has been at least one case of Mpox located at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility.
“We’re actively managing the situation with robust health measures,” IDOC Chief of Staff Paul Cornelius said in a statement to the Des Moines Register, initially reported by KCCI-TV.
“Affected individuals are receiving care, and enhanced sanitation and isolation protocols are in place to prevent further spread.”
It remains unconfirmed how many of the 1,251 inmates have caught the highly contagious disease but the Fort Dodge facility has emphasised that stringent measures are in place to avoid further spread.
Local news outlets are reporting that strict isolation and sanitation measures are being enforced to contain the outbreak.
This is the first case detected in Iowa this year. In 2023, only one case was recorded.
The virus was first declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) in July 2022, after cases increased in Europe and the Americas.
Recently, WHO declared a global health emergency to deal with clade 1.
Mpox is broken down into two strains: clade 1 and clade 2. The strain identified at Fort Dodge is clade 2, a less severe version of the disease, however the news that Mpox had been detected at Fort Dodge Correctional Facility led to a spike in Google searches about Mpox clade 1 and what the risks are of it spreading to the US.
While clade 1 is most commonly reported, which has been deadly across Africa, clade 2 is nowhere near as deadly and has a 99.9% survival rate.
Though gay and bisexual men were disproportionately affected by Mpox, it is not a “gay disease” and anyone can catch it.
Mpox has spread around the globe, with 99,518 cases in 122 locations as of August 6, according to the CDC.
Is there a vaccine for this clade of Mpox?
According to the CDC, clade 2 is still circulating but there is a Mpox vaccine that is recommended to be delivered in two doses.
A new study has indicated that getting two doses of the Mpox vaccine works to prevent Mpox.
The vaccination is likely to make the infection milder and reduce the risk of severe infection and death.
It’s very rare for people to get Mpox after they’ve been fully vaccinated, vaccinated people became infected in less than 1% of cases.
However, only 23% of eligible people have received the vaccine.
What are the early symptoms of Mpox?
There is a lot of misinformation surrounding Mpox so it’s important to know the facts.
Mpox is spread primarily by skin-to-skin contact, Clade 2 symptoms can be initially harder to notice. It usually takes between 5 and 21 days for the first symptoms to appear.
The first symptoms of Mpox includes a high temperature (fever), a headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen glands, shivering (chills), exhaustion and joint pain.
A rash usually appears 1 to 5 days after the first symptoms. It can be on any part of the body, including the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, mouth, genitals and anus.
Symptoms of Mpox typically last two to four weeks but may last longer in someone with a weakened immune system.
Mpox is primarily transmitted through close contact, including intimate or sexual contact, with an infected individual or contact with contaminated materials.
You can read the latest official information about Mpox here.
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