The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department on Friday announced that a type of mpox virus had been detected in Pierce County wastewater sampling.<\/p>\n
Washington State Department of Health and the University of Washington recently detected clade I mpox virus (also known as monkeypox virus) in the wastewater.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter consultation with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department is working with DOH to increase wastewater testing to monitor the situation,\u201d the health department said in Friday\u2019s release.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt this time, no patients with clade I mpox have been reported in Pierce County,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n
Two types of virus cause mpox: clade I and clade II, and according to TPCHD, \u201cThe vast majority of mpox cases in the United States have been caused by clade II mpox.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to CDC, six cases of clade I mpox have been reported in the United States in people who had recently traveled to countries with ongoing outbreaks. There has not been sustained transmission of clade I mpox reported in the U.S.<\/p>\n
TPCHD noted that since the detection came from wastewater details are unknown about the the identity or travel history of anyone with clade 1 mpox in Pierce County.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a rare occurrence, and also a great example of how public health keeps a close eye on disease spread to assess risk and inform the community when needed,\u201d said Dr. James Miller, health officer for TPCHD, in a statement.<\/p>\n
The mpox virus typically spreads during close physical contact, including through sexual contact, day-to-day household contact, and within healthcare settings in the absence of personal protective equipment.<\/p>\n
Symptoms of infection include a rash \u201dthat looks like bumps, blisters or ulcers,\u201d TPCHD noted<\/p>\n
Most patients recover in 2\u20134 weeks, but infection can be serious, particularly for children and people who are pregnant or have weakened immune systems.<\/p>\n