One year since Chicago's first mpox case, health officials still urge caution after cases this spring
One year since Chicago's first mpox case, health officials urge caution and vaccinations after a small resurgence of cases this spring.
Last June, Chicago saw its first mpox case from a man who had traveled from Europe, where cases began to explode and spread primarily among men who had sex with other men.
Since then, there have been more than 1,100 confirmed cases in Chicago and more than 1,400 cases confirmed in Illinois. The disease once dubbed "monkeypox" was officially renamed mpox last November, due to concerns over racist and stigmatizing use of the older name.
Chicago saw a mpox cases peak at the end of July 2022, when 143 cases were reported in one week and cases fell to single-digits in the fall and then to zero in January this year.
There were only five reported Chicago cases this year until late April, when a half-dozen cases were reported every week. The resurgence prompted the CDC to issue an alert for Chicago, where 69% of reported cases were among those who were already vaccinated against the virus.
There was only one reported mpox case in Chicago last week, down from seven the week prior.
"As Chicago marks the one-year anniversary of the first diagnosed case of mpox in the city, the Chicago Department of Public Health is closely monitoring the recent slight resurgence of mpox cases in Chicago," a spokesperson for the health agency said in an emailed statement.
The agency said they are coordinating with the CDC to better understand the circumstances associated with this recent uptick in cases.
"Recognizing that large summer events and festivals can present a higher risk of mpox transmission, CDPH urges all who are eligible to get both doses of the recommended JYNNEOS vaccine to protect themselves and help stop the spread of mpox."
Chicago hosted the International Male Leather festival (IML) last week, which was the epicenter for some cases in Illinois last year.
CDPH said people experiencing symptoms should contact their health provider and Chicago residents can use CDPH's mpox vaccine finder to locate a provider near them.
