New strain of mpox found in New York; no threat to general public, health officials say
A new strain of mpox — found in California, Georgia and New Hampshire — has surfaced for the first time in New York, officials announced Wednesday.
The individual who tested positive for mpox clade lb had recently traveled to Africa and is currently under the care of a physician and in isolation, according to state Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald.
Officials did not identify the individual or where they live, but a health alert sent to physicians on Wednesday said the individual resides in a county outside New York City. A doctor reached out to the state Health Department on Jan. 29 saying their patient had symptoms of mpox.
“There is no known local transmission of mpox clade Ib in the community where the individual lives or anywhere within New York State,” McDonald said in a statement. He said there is no immediate risk to the general public but the agency has asked all health care providers in the state to “maintain a high degree of vigilance” when encountering a patient that has symptoms of mpox.
Mpox is a viral disease spread through close contact with infected people or animals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms include a painful rash that can appear like blisters or pimples and will scab over before they heal. A person who is infected may also have fever, chills and swollen lymph nodes, the agency said.
Mpox is caused by two types of viruses that are divided into categories clade 1 and clade ll. The mpox outbreak that started in 2022 was caused by clade II, the CDC said. That includes 172 cases on Long Island.
Newer cases found in Central and Eastern Africa have been identified as clade 1.
Clade lb is a sub clade of clade 1. It has been found in the Democratic Republic of Congo and spread through intimate and adult sexual contact, officials said.
The disease can cause serious illness and death in people who have compromised immune systems as well as older adults, young children and pregnant women. For other people it usually results in a mild infection, state health officials said.
McDonald said the JYNNEOS vaccine currently given to prevent mpox is believed to be effective against mpox clade lb.
Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.
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'I have never been to New York' Jim Vennard, 61, an electrical engineer from Missouri, received a $250 ticket for passing a stopped school bus in Stony Brook, a place he said he has never visited. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn reports.
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'I have never been to New York' Jim Vennard, 61, an electrical engineer from Missouri, received a $250 ticket for passing a stopped school bus in Stony Brook, a place he said he has never visited. NewsdayTV's Shari Einhorn reports.
