Mpox: No new local cases, but Long Beach health officials say they’re keeping an eye on global spread
The city’s department of Health and Human Services has given about 8,700 doses of mpox vaccine to residents.
Long Beach has not seen any recent local cases of mpox, but public health officials are on alert as a new variant of the virus has begun spreading in Africa, Long Beach Health Officer Dr. Anissa Davis said this week.
Mpox, also known as monkeypox, is a virus that can cause fever, malaise and a characteristic skin rash with painful blisters. It became more widely known after a 2022 outbreak that reached more than 100 countries around the world.
The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared a “public health emergency of international concern” amid surging cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries. Since then, officials in Sweden and Pakistan have reported cases of the virus, both in people who recently traveled, according to news reports.
Locally, mpox cases in Long Beach “have been pretty low,” with 138 reported since the start of the 2022 outbreak and fewer than five cases so far this year, Davis said.
The city’s department of Health and Human Services has given about 8,700 doses of mpox vaccine to residents and currently “a lot of people have some degree of immunity,” she said.
The majority of infections were in people who identify as gay or have same-gender sex partners, Davis said; the virus is spread through close contact with an infected person or with the person’s clothing, bedding or other items that haven’t been disinfected.
The new mpox strain, known as a clade, that’s been seen in Africa can have a more severe course of illness and a higher mortality rate than the clade that hit the U.S. in 2022, Davis said. She recommends that local health providers ask about travel history if a patient has symptoms consistent with mpox.
Davis said the quickest way to find a vaccine is via the state’s My Turn website. The city health department also has vaccines and provides information on its website, or people with questions can call the hotline at 562-570-4321.
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