LA County reports nation’s first MPX case in exposed healthcare worker

The first U.S. health care worker infected with MPX at work was reported in Los Angeles County, public health officials said Tuesday, a day after the county confirmed the country’s infection. Death of the first MPX.

“We have identified a healthcare worker with monkeypox who may have been exposed to the virus in the workplace,” Dr. Rita Singhal, chief medical officer of the Los Angeles County Public Health Department, said in a presentation to the oversight board. “This is the first case of monkeypox in a U.S. health care worker associated with workplace exposure.”

Singhal said the county has consulted officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the incident, but the risk of MPX among health care workers “remains very low.”

The Los Angeles County Public Health Department declined to answer additional questions about the health care worker’s condition and how she contracted the virus, but Singhal said the agency has provided information on infection prevention, including guidance on personal protective equipment. It said it will continue to share with medical professionals.

Health leaders in California recently started using the name MPX, pronounced mpx. There are widespread concerns that the virus’ original name is stigmatizing and racistThe World Health Organization is in the process of officially renaming the disease, which will take several months.

MPX, unlike coronaviruses, is not easily transmitted and usually requires close skin-to-skin contact with infected lesions. Cases in this outbreak have been identified primarily among men and transgender people who have sex with men.This is because the virus can be easily spread during sexual encounters- It is not exclusive.

In LA County, 97% of MPX cases have been confirmed in men, and more than 90% of cases with known sexual orientation have been identified as gay or bisexual. According to Public Health.

MPX cases in LA County reached 1,900 total as of Tuesday, but new cases each week recently started falling, a sign of hope for public health leaders across the country, shows a decline in infections and a sustained drop in cases. There are 4,453 confirmed or suspected cases all of california.

But despite a slowdown in the incidence of new cases, Singhal said there is a growing disparity among those who have the virus and are receiving two doses of the Jinneos vaccine. I got

In July — when the local outbreak began — White Angelenos accounted for more than 55% of new MPX cases each week, according to Public Health Service data shared Tuesday. By early September, Latinx residents accounted for the largest percentage of MPX cases in the county and about 55% of weekly new cases. Although it has shrunk to 20%, the proportion of black residents has nearly doubled to about 10% in two months.

Calculating populations, county officials found that black Angelenos had the highest cumulative MPX infection rate of 26 per 100,000 black residents, compared with 26 per 100,000 residents for Latinx and white residents, respectively. We found that 16 and 17 had similar case rates.

using index of healthy places, or HPI — a measure that describes the overall public health level of a community (such as poverty, access to housing and education) — county officials indicate that the least resourced areas account for a large proportion of the county’s total MPX cases We found: 70% as of early September.

“As time goes on, the proportion of cases increases and falls in the two quartiles with the lowest HPI, or the least healthy communities,” Singhal said. People living in communities with fewer resources for effective public health accounted for approximately 30% of MPX cases, whereas those living in communities with more resources were more likely to contract the virus initially. became. But it flipped after about two months.

According to county data last week, people of color are under-vaccinated against MPX, even though they make up the majority of current cases. Latino residents account for 44% of her MPX cases, but only 32% of first-dose patients. Similarly, 12% of the county’s cases are black residents, but only 9% of the first dose given went to that demographic.

White Angelenos accounted for 40% of first-dose patients in the county, but less than 30% of cases, according to data.

“To address disparities in monkeypox cases and vaccination coverage between Latinos and blacks, [the Department of] Public Health is working with community-based organizations to further define our messaging and outreach to these people,” Singhal said. “We have weekly meetings with stakeholders to hear feedback from focus groups on how best to reach these people.”

Singhal also said only one-third of those eligible for a second dose of the MPX vaccine received it, and urged people to get both doses to “optimize the immune response.” .

County public health director Barbara Feller said officials recently expanded vaccine eligibility to include people who self-reported they may be at “risk of future exposure.” said it hopes it will help more people get vaccinated.

cause initial lack of dose, The county restricted administration to people considered at highest risk of the virus, primarily gay and bisexual men, or transgender people with certain sexually transmitted diseases or multiple sexual partners. Vaccine availability has increased dramatically since then, but authorities still do not recommend widespread vaccination.

“We have changed our guidance on eligibility to make it easier for people,” Ferrer said on Tuesday. “We are desperate to listen to the concerns that our residents are raising. …There is an imbalance. You have to pay a lot of attention to what you say is helpful.”

Singhal also reported two confirmed MPX cases in county jails and 81 confirmed among people experiencing homelessness, including seven in apartment complexes, but she said “those environments There is no evidence of spread inwas there 6 cases in children Under 18.

Singhal said 66 people were hospitalized for MPX throughout the outbreak. This represents about 4% of all cases. A person who recently died from MPX in LA County “had been hospitalized with a severe immunodeficiency,” Singhal said, urging MPX patients to seek medical care and treatment as soon as possible.