Potential for Mpox Resurgence This Summer: Q&A With CDC's Christopher Braden, MD

Although mpox cases in the US have plummeted since a peak in early August 2022, the virus is still circulating. The Chicago Department of Health reported 12 confirmed cases and one probable case from April 17 to May 5. With the return of summer festivals, public health experts are renewing calls for vaccination and prevention efforts. Medscape Medical News spoke with Christopher Braden, MD, deputy director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to prepare the clinician community.

How big of a problem is mpox currently?

There's been quite a decrease in the number of cases since the height of the outbreak — when we were seeing upwards of 450 cases a day, totaling over 30,000 cases. What we're seeing now is a very long tail of a few cases being reported across the country. We're seeing cases reported from jurisdictions that have seen large numbers of cases in the past. That means the outbreak is not over.

We're likely going to see more cases associated with that cluster in Chicago, so that may be a harbinger of things to come in other places. What's concerning is that in Chicago, many cases are among vaccinated persons.