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Outbreak Update: Mpox Outbreak in the U.S. 

For the latest information on the mpox outbreak, refer to the CDC website.

On May 18, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) confirmed a single case of mpox virus infection in an adult male with recent travel to Canada. DPH is working closely with the CDC, relevant local boards of health, and the patient’s health care providers to identify individuals who may have been in contact with the patient while he was infectious. 

Mpox is a rare but potentially serious viral illness that typically begins with flu-like illness and swelling of the lymph nodes and progresses to a widespread rash on the face and body.

There have not been any identified cases of mpox in the U.S. since November 2021, when Maryland reported a case in an individual who had recently traveled to Nigeria. There was a previous case in Texas in July 2021, where similarly the individual reported recent travel to Nigeria. Read the CDC’s report on the 2021 case of a patient with mpox.    

The CDC has been tracking the U.S. case as well as mpox outbreaks reported in several countries that typically do not see mpox cases including Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Italy, and the United Kingdom (CDC). Many of these cases have been acquired without travel to Central or Western Africa where mpox is endemic. In all cases, public health authorities are examining close contacts and acting to prevent spread of the disease.

What Can Health Care Personnel Do? 

• Follow the identify, isolate, and inform strategy to reduce exposure in your health care facility. Watch NETEC’s webinar on The I’s Have It: Identify, Isolate, and Inform.  
• Health care personnel should be alert for patients who have rash illnesses consistent with mpox, regardless of their travel histories or risk of exposure (CDC).  
• Mpox illness begins with flu-like symptoms, followed by a rash that often begins on the face and then spreads to other parts of the body. 
• Some patients have had genital lesions and the rash may be hard to distinguish from syphilis, herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection, chancroid, varicella zoster, and other more common infections. 
• Those who have any sort of close personal contact with people with mpox could potentially also be at risk for the disease. 
• A combination of standard, contact, and droplet precautions should be adhered to in all healthcare settings when a patient presents with fever and vesicular/pustular rash (CDC). 
• Isolate patients suspected of having mpox in a negative pressure room. 
• Personal protective equipment should be donned before entering the patient’s room and used for all patient contact. Review NETEC’s Trained Observer for PPE guide. 
• Consult the state health department or CDC’s mpox call center through the CDC Emergency Operations Center (770-488-7100) as soon as mpox is suspected. 
• Find dedicated EMS strategies for preventing the spread of mpox.

NETEC Resources for Mpox

For more resources on the clinical care of patients infected with mpox, check out the resource library.   

Do you have a question about the mpox outbreak in the U.S.? Ask our experts!