CLEVELAND — “Cuyahoga County is presently experiencing an mpox outbreak,” according to the Cuyahoga County Board of Health.
That information released Thursday morning comes with the health agency saying Cuyahoga County has documented nine cases of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) from February through April 23. The Cuyahoga County Board of Health says this includes six cases in their health jurisdiction and three reported by the Cleveland Department of Public Health. Still more cases have also been reported in Summit County.
Cases range in age from 17-44 years old, according to the Cuyahoga County Board of Health.
“Those who believe that they may have been directly exposed to mpox are advised to get tested as soon as possible,” according to a press release. “We are encouraging all medical providers to keep mpox as part of their differential diagnosis. Any provider seeing a patient with lesions and/or a rash, particularly if they are part of the identified at-risk population should be tested for mpox.”
If you’re looking for an mpox vaccine, they’re available from local medical providers.
WHAT IS MPOX?
“This virus is part of the same family as the virus that causes smallpox,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “People with mpox often get a rash, along with other symptoms. The rash will go through several stages, including scabs, before healing. Mpox is not related to chickenpox.”
The CDC says mpox is a zoonotic disease, which means it can be spread between animals and people.
“The first human case of mpox was recorded in 1970, in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” according to the CDC. “In 2022, mpox spread around the world. Before that, cases of mpox in other places were rare and usually linked to travel or to animals being imported from regions where mpox is endemic.”
Back in 2022, the World Health Organization decided to rename the disease from monkeypox to mpox “to follow modern guidelines for naming illnesses.”
“Those guidelines recommend that disease names should avoid offending cultural, social, national, regional, professional or ethnic groups and minimize unnecessary negative effects on trade, travel, tourism or animal welfare," according to the CDC.
Here’s more information about mpox as listed by the CDC:
RISK OF SEVERE DISEASE
Although cases of mpox are not life-threatening, some people may be more likely to get severely ill, including:
- People with severely weakened immune systems
- Children younger than 1
- People with a history of eczema
- People who are pregnant
PREVENTING MPOX
There are several ways you can protect yourself and others from mpox, including:
- Avoiding close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like mpox and animals that carry the mpox virus.
- Learning steps you can take to lower your risk of mpox during sex or at a social gathering.
- Getting vaccinated. Check with your healthcare provider to find out if the mpox vaccine is recommended for you.