Mpox in San Francisco wastewater not related to new outbreak
Trace levels of mpox detected recently in San Francisco wastewater are unrelated to a new outbreak in Africa that prompted the World Health Organization this week to declare a global health emergency, officials said. The San Francisco Department of Public Health said health officials have monitored mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, in wastewater since a 2022 outbreak. The trace levels that were detected at two sites recently are from Clade II, a type of genetic grouping of viruses that prompted a global health emergency from July 2022 to May 2023. During that outbreak, the virus spread from Africa to Europe and North America. The California Department of Public Health said mpox cases have been increasing in California, with 54 cases reported since June 1. However, that is not anywhere near the level of spread in the 2022 outbreak, with up to 150 cases reported in one day.