Officials respond to contagious mpox cases at Iowa prison

The Iowa Department of Corrections has confirmed it is responding to cases of the highly contagious viral disease mpox at a state prison.

Department of Corrections Chief of Staff Paul Cornelius said in a statement the mpox strain clade 2 was detected at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility.

"We're actively managing the situation with robust health measures," Cornelius said a statement provided Tuesday to The Gazette and first reported on KCCI-TV. "Affected individuals are receiving care, and enhanced sanitation and isolation protocols are in place to prevent further spread. We're working closely with health authorities from Health and Human Services to ensure a coordinated response is utilized.“

The department would not say how many inmates or staff are infected; how mpox was detected at the prison; the health status, medical treatment and medical attention provided to those infected; and other questions emailed by The Gazette.

“At this time, the investigation is still ongoing,“ Cornelius responded.

Mpox, formerly called monkeypox, is a part of the same virus family that causes smallpox, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It causes severe rashes, blisterlike sores, fever and swollen lymph nodes. The illness usually is mild, and most infected individuals recover within a few weeks without treatment. It was originally found in Africa, but caused a global outbreak in 2022 in cases linked to travel.

Clade II mpox is endemic to West Africa and is the type that caused the global outbreak that began in 2022. Infections from clade II are less severe than clade 1, the virulent strain that currently is spreading in Africa, according to the CDC.

As of last Thursday, there have been no reported cases of clade I mpox in the United States. The risk of the strain spreading in the general population is considered very low. However, the CDC is working with other agencies to prepare for the possibility of a case being reported in the United States.

There had been no prior reported cases of either strain of mpox in Iowa this year as of Aug. 24. One case was reported in 2023. Over the course of the CDC's monitoring of the disease since 2022, it has reported a total of 30 cases in Iowa and 32,063 nationwide, with 58 deaths, as of March 5 of this year.

Health officials say mpox can spread from person to person through close contact with an infected person or animal, or through contact with contaminated objects, fabrics and surfaces that have not been disinfected after use by someone with mpox. That includes items like clothing, bedding and towels.

Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com