TAMPA, Fla. — “Mpox actually hit Florida really hard in the past,” said Dr. Jill Roberts, Associate Professor for the USF College of Public Health.
Health officials expect Florida to be one of the states that gets hit hard again if cases spread.
“It has to do with the demographics, the travel to this state,” said Roberts.
Mpox is considered a much less severe cousin of smallpox.
It’s spread through close personal contact, like sex, or direct contact with contaminated materials.
Mpox can cause flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and chills. It’s then typically followed by a rash.
That rash can look like pimples or blisters and can appear on the hands, feet, chest, face or near the genitals.
Although it’s not classified as an STD, and anyone can get mpox, men who have sex with men are among the most at risk.
The most recent data from the CDC shows there have been 744 mpox cases in the United States this year through about mid-April. That’s more than double the cases around the same time last year.
Infectious disease experts told ABC Action News back then about the ongoing potential for spread.
“As long as that low level exists, there is a potential that a spark can happen, and suddenly we’ve got a big outbreak again,” said Dr. Sarah Park, Senior Director of Medical Affairs for Karius.
Public health experts are worried we could see another mpox outbreak this summer, with travel expected to break records and upcoming LGBTQ+ pride celebrations.
“Anytime you have a pretty large population around… certain population centers, you’re going to get the spread of that,” said Roberts.
What has officials even more concerned is that the CDC reports it’s been tracking a new type of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that poses a global threat for potential spread.
Compared to the mpox virus strain that caused the global outbreak that started in 2022, the CDC said this new type could cause more severe illness and higher mortality.
So far, no cases of that type have been reported in the US.
However, experts are urging people who are at risk to take precautions and get vaccinated to avoid an outbreak.
A new report from the CDC shows the vaccine they’re using for mpox appears to provide good protection.
“We have to go back to all that messaging that we did before with mpox, which is get vaccinated, be aware of symptoms. Take all those kinds of precautions, and then hopefully we can knock that down quickly,” said Roberts.
