The Cuyahoga County Board of Health (CCBH) said there is currently an Mpox outbreak in the county; here's what you need to know.
- Nine cases have been reported: six to the county and three by the Cleveland Department of Public Health.
- The ages of patients range from 17 to 44.
- Mpox looks like a lesion and or rash on the body.
- Diagnostic testing and Jynneos Mpox vaccine are available from local medical providers as well as the CCBH clinics: Parma: 5550 Venture Drive and Warrensville Heights: 4200 Warrensville Center Road, Suite 344
- The public can call 216-201-2041 or email ccbhnurse@ccbh.net to connect with one of their nurses and make an appointment.
- More information can be found at www.ccbh.net
RELATED: Mpox cases nearly double at start of 2024 versus same time last year
In 2022, the U.S. was part of a global Mpox outbreak. The viral disease, formerly known as monkeypox, is in the same family as smallpox. It appears first as a pimple or blister-like rash.
"It can be on the hands, the feet, the chest, the face, the genitals… all sorts of places and it can be very painful or itchy,” said Joyous Van Meter, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health’s disease & emergency preparedness supervisor.
“People pretty much stopped getting the vaccine in 2022 because they saw the risk has been much lower after that,” Van Meter said. “And, it's definitely likely that people aren't avoiding close contact anymore because it is two years later."
Symptoms can mimic the flu, including fever, chills and body aches.
Van Meter said people more at risk include those who’ve had multiple sexual partners (especially in the past six months), who’ve already been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection and who have had anonymous or commercial sex.
The medical community stresses that the Jynneos vaccine can prevent Mpox and that proper diagnoses and treatment can reduce the chances of its spreading.
Mpox is spread primarily through skin-to-skin contact but, in some cases, through respiratory secretions like coughing or sneezing.
Van Meter said a person is contagious until after all the scabs on the skin have fallen off and a fresh layer of skin has formed, which can take weeks. Infected individuals should be isolated while contagious.
The Central Outreach Wellness Center in Cleveland Heights is a sexual health clinic that works primarily with the LGBTQ-plus community.
“We've had one (Mpox) case so far. He was diagnosed about three weeks ago,” said Sabina Hossain, the center’s lead clinician and nurse practitioner. “And we hope that will be the only case that we get, but they are also prepared to handle an uptick. “We are vaccinating and educating our patients daily here… so just trying to drive those vaccine numbers up."
The center held special vaccine clinics during the 2022 Mpox outbreak and saw a big turnout.
“Some patients waited like six to eight hours,” Hossain said.
Hossain added that with summer on the way and more public events where skin-to-skin contact is happening more frequently, the center expects to see more Mpox cases but hopes their efforts will keep numbers low.
"Anyone can be at risk for it and creating stigma only hinders care,” Hossain said.
The LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland has also held education sessions and vaccine events centered around Mpox.
Thursday, it said leaders were currently in talks with the Cuyahoga County Board of Health to come together and put out further information and messaging about the local Mpox outbreak.
