Mpox Detected in Iowa Prison, Global Precautions Taken

Mpox has been detected at an Iowa prison, marking the first cases in the state for 2024, prompting enhanced sanitation and isolation protocols. The Iowa Department of Corrections is working with health authorities to manage the situation, though the exact number of infections remains undisclosed. Globally, mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, caused significant outbreaks in 2022, and precautions continue to be important. In Singapore, healthcare workers and close contacts of confirmed cases will receive vaccinations against clade I mpox, while Bihar, India, has established health desks at airports for screening and set up isolation wards in hospitals to prevent the spread. The World Health Organization has declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern due to escalating infections in Africa. Despite these measures, the risk of mpox strain clade I spreading in the general U.S. population is considered very low.