An mpox outbreak has been reported in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, with a total of 15 confirmed cases as of April 2024. The affected individuals are all men or trans men, ranging in age from 17 to 44 years old.
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health (CCBH) are urging healthcare providers to be on the lookout for symptoms such as lesions and rashes among at-risk populations, particularly Black men who have sex with men. The JYNNEOS vaccine is available for those who have contracted mpox or have a sexual partner who had known or expected exposure to mpox.
The first reported case in Cuyahoga County was identified in February 2024, and since then, nine cases have been documented within the county. Three additional cases were reported by the Cleveland Department of Public Health.
Health officials are conducting case investigations, identifying and contacting individuals diagnosed with mpox, and providing them with the vaccine or testing depending on symptoms. Women are also at risk of contracting mpox through close contact with those in higher risk categories.
Mpox is a zoonotic disease that can spread through bodily fluids and contact. It was first discovered in 1958 and is part of the smallpox virus family.
The CCBH strongly encourages those who may have been exposed to mpox to get tested as soon as possible, while medical providers are advised to keep mpox as part of their differential diagnosis when encountering patients with lesions or a rash. Diagnostic testing and the JYNNEOS vaccine are available at two locations in Cuyahoga County: 5550 Venture Drive in Parma and 4200 Warrensville Center Road in Warrensville Heights.
The CCBH says that if a provider sees a patient with lesions or a rash, or if they are part of the at-risk population, they should be tested for mpox. The incubation period is 3-17 days during which individuals do not have symptoms and may feel fine.
Other symptoms can include fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, muscle aches and backache, headache and respiratory symptoms. Diagnostic testing and the JYNNEOS vaccine are available at local medical providers and clinics.
It is important to note that there have been reports of an attendee of the Cleveland Leather Weekend event being diagnosed with mpox, indicating a potential cluster in the outbreak.
