CDC says 3 cases of severe mpox in California may be linked to August case

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released an advisory Oct. 29 on three unrelated cases of clade I mpox recently identified in California. The agency said that viral genomic data suggested the cases are likely part of the same cluster and may be linked to a case from August with recent travel to an area with clade I mpox spread. The CDC said there is high suspicion of community spread since the three September cases had no history of recent travel and no obvious common exposure or epidemiological link between them. The agency recommended that laboratories use tests targeting a viral essential gene, as mutations of the virus can impact clade-specific polymerase chain reaction tests. The risk of clade Ib mpox to the public is low, the CDC said.