Topline:
New mpox cases continue to bubble up in SoCal. Health officials in Orange County are investigating three probable cases reported last week. In Los Angeles County, two cases have been reported since July 1. Historically, gay and bisexual men make up the vast majority of mpox cases.
I haven’t heard about mpox for months. What’s going on? Cases declined after peaking last August. L.A. County didn’t report another mpox case until April, when two were announced. Cases jumped to 23 in June, two were reported in July. Health officials expected cases to tick up this summer due to people attending LGBTQ events. In Orange County, five cases have so far been reported this year.
What is mpox? Formerly known as monkeypox, mpox is caused by a virus in the same family as smallpox. It is spread via human-to-human contact, such as touching a lesion by rubbing against someone while dancing or having sex, as well as exchanging saliva or other bodily fluids. Typically, patients have a fever, muscle aches, and then a rash on their face, mouth, hands, and possibly genitals and rectum that can last for several weeks. The rash can be very painful, but is rarely fatal. The free two-dose mpox vaccine is “safe and highly effective” when given about a month apart, O.C. health officials say.
Learn more …. about mpox, treatment and vaccines on our Mpox Guide To L.A. Pride.
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