Senior Biden administration officials warned Friday that the US is ready for the possibility of a more severe strain of mpox, which has spread in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other African nations, killing over 600 people.
As of Thursday, there have been over 24,800 documented cases of this strain of the virus, known as clade 1, this year, according to the World Health Organization in a separate briefing Friday. The World Health Organization designated the epidemic a worldwide health emergency in August.
Last month, Sweden confirmed a Clade 1 case, the first outside of Africa, and several days later, a case in Thailand. Both patients had spent time in Africa.
A new strain of mpox, clade 2, caused a global epidemic in 2022, as well as an increase in cases in the United States. Clade 1 is more severe and can kill up to 10% of those infected, while recent mortality rates have ranged between 1% and 3.3%, according to the CDC.
On a teleconference with reporters, senior administration officials stated that while illnesses in Africa have increased, the United States has been preparing 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 the DRC and neighboring countries accelerate,” a government source claimed.
According to officials, the government is increasing its MPOC monitoring efforts, mostly through wastewater analysis, and is educating members of the medical community on what to look out for, particularly the severity of clade 1 and how it spreads.
Officials claimed they’re also making testing more accessible.
A national laboratory in the United States can perform an mpox test upon request from any doctor. If the results are positive, the doctor can proceed to test for Clade 2. Authorities state that if the haplogroup 2 results are negative, the doctor can establish a presumptive diagnosis of clade 1, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must officially validate.
The Jynneos mpox vaccine, administered in two doses, is effective against both classes 1 and 2 of mpox.
The CDC only recommends vaccinations for those considered at high-risk of contracting the virus, specifically homosexual and bisexual males.
Most people with health insurance may purchase the vaccination at large drugstore retail chains like CVS and Walgreens, according to authorities. The vaccination is also accessible for free from public health departments and community health clinics.
Authorities said that the national stockpile in the United States is holding more vaccinations, but they did not disclose the exact number.
“There is enough vaccine for the US population,” one official stated.
The United States is also collaborating with government scientists and pharmaceutical businesses to create potential new therapies. There are currently no recognized treatment options for mpox. The Food and Drug Administration has licensed an antiviral medication known as TPOXX for smallpox, which is closely related to mpox; however, a recent clinical trial indicated that the medicine is not effective against clade 1.