Los Angeles County health officials have confirmed and are examining potential local spread of a more severe monkeypox variant, specifically the virulent mpox clade I variant, which is driving a major outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and adjacent countries.

Fortunately, the risk of the disease spreading among the general population is low. The CDC reports nine confirmed clade I monkeypox cases in the U.S. this year, including three cases mentioned earlier and six cases tied to travel from Central and Eastern Africa. Los Angeles health officials suggest those at risk of infection get vaccinated to help stem the virus’s spread.

It should be noted that the Clade I variant spreads more easily and causes more severe symptoms compared to the Clade II variant that triggered the global outbreak three years ago.

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