Riverside County health officials Thursday reported a case of travel-related mpox in a Riverside County resident. Officials also recommended people get vaccinated before traveling abroad.
“Travel is often a time of connection, exploration and community,” Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Chevinsky said in a news release. “If you may engage in intimate contact while traveling, getting vaccinated against mpox is a simple and effective way to protect yourself and others. If you develop a rash or get sick after international travel, it’s important that you talk to your healthcare provider.”
Health officials said the person, who had traveled to the Middle East, was no longer contagious upon their return to Riverside County and had made a full recovery. This is the second case of clade I mpox to be confirmed in the state and the sixth case in the nation.
Health officials said clade I mpox was responsible for the current increase in cases in Central and Eastern Africa, while clade II was connected to the spread of mpox in Riverside County back in 2022. The symptoms for both clades, which are the two virus types that cause mpox, are similar and can include fever, rash, swollen lymph nodes, headache and malaise five to 21 days after exposure.
The virus is primarily spread through close, prolonged contact with a person infected by the virus or contaminated materials such as bedding and clothing, health officials said.
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“There is no immediate concern for the general public at this time, as mpox [cases] remain relatively low in Riverside County,” said Andrea Gallegos, program chief of the HIV/STD program for Riverside University Health System – Public Health (RUHS-PH) in an interview with The Riverside Record. “But we do strongly encourage folks who are at higher risk, particularly those who may be engaging in intimate contact during international travel or who have multiple partners.”
According to health officials, there have been nine mpox cases, including the clade I case, reported in Riverside County, a sharp decline from the 316 cases reported in 2022. Gallegos attributed the decline partially to the vaccination effort in the county, which she said protects against both clade I and clade II.
“We’ve accounted for approximately 5.3% of all cumulative cases in California, but we administered roughly 6.2% of the total mpox vaccine doses,” she said. “So I think having that proactive effort in vaccination outreach and prevention partnerships with healthcare providers and community based organizations really helped bring that number down.”
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) recently updated its mpox vaccination recommendations with the first dose recommended at least six weeks prior to travel with ongoing mpox outbreaks and a second dose four weeks later for optimal protection. Health officials are not recommending additional doses at this time for those who have already received two doses of the vaccine.
More information about mpox in Riverside County, including vaccination, can be found here on RUHS-PH’s website or at EmpoweredAgainstMpox.com.
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