Mpox cases are rising in South Florida as a new variant is causing concerns overseas.
Doctors say the new “Clade 1” variant is deadlier and seems to be spreading faster than “Clade 2” did during an outbreak in 2022, that spread across the world, including South Florida.
Unlike “Clade 2,” Dr. Jyoti Somani of Jackson Health Systems says 75% of cases involving “Clade 1” are in children.
“It seems to be much closer contact, not necessarily intimate contact,” said Dr. Somani. “The death rate historically has been higher at about 10 percent compared to Clade 2.”
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Dr. Somani says the new variant also produces a rash that seems to spread across the body whereas rashes due to “Clade 2” were in limited areas of the body.
Other symptoms can include fever, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, headache, and respiratory symptoms.
Last week, the World Health Organization declared an emergency due to the spread of “Clade 1,” which originated out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa. At least one case has now been reported in Sweden.
Dr. Somani says South Florida could be more susceptible to disease spread because it’s an international destination.
Robert Boo, the CEO of the Pride Center at Equality Park is already preparing to use grant funding to launch an awareness campaign and conduct town halls, like they did in 2022.
“It’s a matter of time,” said Boo. “Our goal is to reach, at a minimum 26,000 individuals. Mpox is still an issue for not just the LGBTQ community. It is for the entire community.”
The Florida Department of Health has not activated any health advisories but tells NBC6 there is plenty of vaccine supply if needed.
Although the new variant has yet to be recorded in Florida, Mpox “Clade 2” cases are already eclipsing last year’s numbers. As of Monday, Miami-Dade is reporting 48 cases and Broward is reporting 23 cases.
Still, it’s a far cry from the hundreds of cases in both counties just two years ago.
“We are prepared, we have the vaccine so we should be able to keep this under control,” Dr. Somani said.
