Mpox detected at Fort Dodge prison in Iowa

Chief of staff: Mpox has been detected, actively managing situation
The last known case of mpox in Iowa was reported in 2023
Mpox has been classified as an epidemic in the U.S. since 2022

Updated: Sep 4, 2024 / 12:33 PM CDT

FILE – This image provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases shows a colorized transmission electron micrograph of monkeypox particles (red) found within an infected cell (blue), cultured in the laboratory that was captured and color-enhanced at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility in Fort Detrick, Md. Kenya and the Central African Republic declared new outbreaks of mpox Wednesday, July 31, 2024, as Africa’s health officials are racing to contain the spread of the disease in a region lacking vaccines. (NIAID via AP, File)

(NewsNation) — Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has been detected at a correctional facility in Fort Dodge, Iowa, according to multiple reports.

“We’re actively managing the situation with robust health measures,” Iowa Department of Corrections Chief of Staff Paul Cornelius said in a statement Monday, per the Des Moines Register. “Affected individuals are receiving care, and enhanced sanitation and isolation protocols are in place to prevent further spread.”

Cornelius would not provide how many prisoners at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility were infected with the illness but did identify the strain of mpox as clade 2, which is a less serious version of the infection, the report said.

The last known case of mpox in Iowa was reported in 2023, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The World Health Organization declared mpox a global health emergency last month, but the risk for those living in the U.S. remains low, according to the CDC.

The infectious disease, caused by what was formerly known as the monkeypox virus, has been classified as an epidemic in the U.S. since 2022.

Mpox spreads between people mainly through sexual contact but can also occasionally spread from the environment to people via things and surfaces that have been touched by a person with mpox.

Common symptoms of mpox include a rash lasting for two to four weeks. This may start with or be followed by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen glands.