Stanislaus County Confirms 4 Mpox Cases, Including 2 Clade I Infections
Two infections are confirmed as clade I; typing of the other two is pending. County officials have not identified how those results overlap with patients’ travel histories.
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Stanislaus County health officials said Thursday, Oct. 29, that four people in the county had recently tested positive for mpox. State health officials confirmed two infections as clade I, according to the county’s announcement. Results identifying the type of the other two infections were still pending.
Three of the four reported no recent international travel, and officials were still checking the fourth person’s travel history. The county did not identify which patients had the two confirmed clade I infections. One person was hospitalized, the Modesto Bee reported.
“While we have identified four cases in our county, we want residents to know that the risk to the general public remains low,” Dr. Thea Papasozomenos, the county’s public health officer, said in the announcement.
The county hasn’t said how the four were infected or whether the cases are connected. Its announcement came two days before Halloween. What the county has confirmed Four mpox casesTwo confirmed as clade I. The other two still await typing results.Travel histories are a separate findingThree people reported no recent international travel. Officials have not said whether the two confirmed clade I cases are among those three. Based on the county’s Oct. 29, 2026, announcement. What California’s Current Clade I Mpox Guidance Says
In guidance updated Oct. 13, the California Department of Public Health said recent clade Ib cases in the state have generally been mild. The department said their severity and spread have resembled clade IIb, the type behind the 2022 outbreak.
People with weakened immune systems face the greatest risk of severe illness, particularly if they have not received both JYNNEOS vaccine doses, CDPH said.
The CDC’s clade I page, updated Oct. 27, lists nearly 130 cases in at least 26 states plus Puerto Rico. Fifteen jurisdictions have reported presumed domestic spread, which the agency says likely signals sustained clade Ib transmission in the United States.
“The majority of these cases are among gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men,” the CDC says. “The risk to men who have sex with men is low to moderate.” Where to Get the JYNNEOS Vaccine in Stanislaus County and What It Costs
California’s vaccination guidance recommends JYNNEOS for gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men. It also includes trans, nonbinary and gender-diverse people, people with HIV, and people taking or eligible for PrEP or doxy-PEP. People may request vaccination without disclosing a specific risk factor. Those who have already had mpox generally do not need the vaccine, CDPH says.
It’s two shots, at least four weeks apart. People who stopped after one can just get the second. “There’s no need to restart,” Dr. Julia Janssen of the San Francisco Department of Public Health told KQED in August.
Stanislaus County’s Public Health Immunization Clinic at 1524 McHenry Ave. in Modesto lists mpox vaccinations on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Appointments are available through MyTurn, with limited walk-ins. Call 209-558-7700 to confirm availability, eligibility and cost before going.
Most insurance plans cover mpox vaccination for eligible adults, according to CDPH, which advises checking with the plan or provider. The county’s free or low-cost immunization program serves eligible uninsured and underinsured patients. Its general clinic rules exclude people whose insurance covers the vaccine, even if they have a copay. Mpox Symptoms and Testing in the 21 Days After an Exposure
Symptoms usually start within 21 days of exposure, according to the CDC. Someone exposed on Halloween could still see them in the third week of November. The rash can show up near the genitals or anus or on the hands, feet, chest, face or mouth, sometimes with fever or swollen lymph nodes. Some people get just a few sores.
Mpox spreads through close contact, including skin-to-skin contact during sex, and can also spread through contaminated items such as bedding, county health officials said.
After a known exposure, contact a health care provider promptly. JYNNEOS works best when given within four days; vaccination four to 14 days after exposure may reduce illness if symptoms have not started, according to the county’s vaccine guidance.
Testing generally involves swabbing a sore. The county advises people with an unexplained rash to contact a health care provider and call ahead before visiting. Avoid close contact while seeking advice. People with mpox should avoid close contact until all sores have healed and new skin has formed.
“Being aware of the symptoms, getting vaccinated if at risk of exposure to mpox, and seeking medical care when needed are important ways to protect yourself and prevent the spread of mpox,” Papasozomenos said.
Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, chief medical officer at New York’s Callen-Lorde, an LGBTQ+ health center, helped coordinate the 2022 national mpox response. “People at increased risk should know that mpox has not disappeared,” he told Live Science in October. “Infectious diseases don’t disappear simply because public attention shifts.”
