Connecticut Confirms First Clade I Mpox Case in Traveler from Western Europe

A case of clade I mpox - a more severe strain of the virus - has been confirmed in Connecticut, according to state health officials. The patient had recently traveled to Western Europe, where health authorities are monitoring ongoing infectious disease activity.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health said the case poses no risk to the general public, but urged at-risk individuals to get the JYNNEOS vaccine. Symptoms of mpox include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a characteristic rash.

Clade I, historically found in Central Africa, is linked to more severe illness and higher mortality rates compared to clade II, which drove the global outbreak starting in 2022.

The World Health Organization also reported new hantavirus cases in Spain and France. Hantavirus, spread by rodents, can cause severe respiratory illness but remains rare.