Mpox Updates

In May 2022, in response to the multi-country outbreak of clade II mpox in non-endemic countries, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), along with local and regional public health departments, have implemented enhanced surveillance measures to identify cases of mpox in Texas quickly. These measures include providing education and outreach to public health agencies and clinicians in Texas, evaluating persons with suspicion of mpox, and monitoring contacts of confirmed cases for symptom development.

Although the cases of clade II continue to be reported in Texas, the number of reported cases has significantly decreased since 2022. A map of the cases reported in the United States can be found on the CDC’s website (Ongoing 2022 Global Outbreak Cases and Data).

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is currently experiencing the highest number of mpox cases in the country’s history. Since 2023, the DRC has reported more than 27,000 suspected cases and more than 1,200 deaths. Most of these cases have been caused by clade I monkeypox virus (MPXV). There is evidence that the virus is spreading across the DRC’s borders, including into Uganda, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and Kenya. On August 14, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak in the DRC a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). At this time, no cases of clade I mpox have been reported in the United States or Texas and the overall risk of clade I mpox to the general population in the United States is very low.