The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Thursday confirmed another case of a more severe strain of mpox in a local patient who has no known history of travel to areas where the virus is usually found.

The L.A. County announced came two days after Long Beach health officials announced the first locally acquired case of clade I mpox. The two local cases are believed to be the only clade I mpox infections in the nation involving people with no known history of travel.

Clade I mpox is a more serious strain of mpox that clade II, which led to a 2022-23 mpox outbreak in the United States. Clade I generally causes more severe illness. Symptoms can include rash or lesions, fever, chills, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes and body aches.

Only about eight cases of clade I mpox have been

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