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A prison in Iowa detects Mpox. Here you can find out everything about the disease

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Mpox, a highly contagious viral disease known for causing severe rashes and pustules, has been detected in an Iowa prison.

“We are actively managing the situation and implementing robust health measures,” Paul Cornelius, chief of staff for the Iowa Department of Corrections, said in a statement provided to the Des Moines Register on Monday and first reported on KCCI-TV. “Impacted individuals are being cared for and enhanced hygiene and isolation protocols are in place to prevent further spread.”

It is not yet known how many prisoners are infected.

Here's what you need to know about Mpox.

Where in Iowa was Mpox discovered?

Cornelius told the television station the illness was detected at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility. In his statement, he identified the Mpox strain as Clade 2, a more common, less severe form of the virus than Clade 1, the virulent strain currently spreading in Africa that has not yet reached the United States. The World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency because of Clade 1.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were no additional cases of Mpox in Iowa this year through August 24, prior to the detection in Fort Dodge, and there was a single case in 2023. During the course of the CDC's surveillance of the disease, a total of 30 cases were reported in Iowa and 32,063 nationwide, as well as 58 deaths.

What is Mpox?

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is part of the same family of viruses that causes smallpox, according to the CDC.

Discovered in 1958, the virus was originally called monkeypox because it was first detected in primates – not because monkeys are the source of infection. The WHO has since changed the name Mpox to avoid this unintended stigma.

The disease is zoonotic, meaning it can be transmitted from animals to humans. However, according to the CDC, it can also be transmitted from person to person through physical contact. In fact, more human-to-human transmissions have been reported than animal-to-human transmissions since 2016, according to Politico.

Of the two Mpox types, clade I is endemic to Central Africa, while the milder clade II is endemic to West Africa. A new variant of clade I, called Ib, appears to spread more easily.

How is Mpox transmitted?

According to the CDC, Mpox is often spread through bodily fluids and physical contact. Person-to-person transmission usually occurs through close contact with respiratory secretions, inflamed skin lesions, or recently contaminated objects, according to the WHO.

What are the symptoms of Mpox?

The infection is usually mild, but Mpox disease can last two to four weeks and, if left untreated, can lead to death.

Most symptoms are similar to those of the flu and may also include purulent skin lesions.

Within one to three days of infection, the patient develops a facial rash that spreads to other parts of the body, including the hands, feet, chest, face, mouth and genitals, according to the CDC. The rash may begin as pimples or blisters and become very painful over time.

The fluid-filled lesions go through a series of stages before drying out and falling off.

The incubation period, i.e. the time between infection and the onset of symptoms, is usually six to 13 days, but can also be five to 21 days.

Other symptoms of Mpox include:

  • Headache and fever.
  • Swollen lymph nodes.
  • Exhaustion.
  • Chills.
  • Back pain and other limb pain.
  • rash.

How is Mpox treated?

Vaccines are available and recommended by the WHO for people in high-risk groups: children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, including people with HIV infection that is not well controlled.

The approved vaccine, JYNNEOS, a series of two doses administered at least four weeks apart, provides protection against both Clade I and Clade II strains.

According to a recent CDC report, the vaccine is highly effective. Fully vaccinated people became infected less than 1% of the time. And among those who did become infected, symptoms were milder than in unvaccinated people.

You can find Mpox vaccination sites in Iowa by visiting the Iowa DHHS website at hhs.iowa.gov/immunization/mpox-mpv.

How to prevent Mpox infection?

Avoid contact with people who are showing symptoms. The Iowa Department of Public Health also recommends not touching an infected person's rashes or scabs and avoiding indirect contact, such as touching shared doorknobs and bedding.

It is also recommended to wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

USA TODAY contributed to this article.

Kyle Werner is a reporter at the Register. Reach him at [email protected]

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