The Hawaii Department of Health today said a wastewater sample from Oahu has tested positive for clade I mpox.
At this time, the risk to the general public is low, officials said, and to date, no clinical case of clade I mpox has been identified in Hawaii.
“The presence of clade I mpox virus in wastewater does not confirm a clinical case or community spread,” said health officials in a news release. “Instead, it serves as an indicator to be alert for possible mpox cases. People at higher risk of mpox infection should consider being vaccinated with two doses of the JYNNEOS (mpox) vaccine if not already protected.”
The positive sample was collected on April 13 from a wastewater treatment facility on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, which serves on-base military housing facilities as well as public sites such as Pearl Harbor National Memorial Museum.
It is the first time clade I mpox has been detected in wastewater in Hawaii.
DOH said it received notice of the initial detection on April 20, with positive confirmatory results received on April 24. A subsequent sample collected on April 20 from the same wastewater facility tested negative for mpox.
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Major civilian wastewater facilities on Oahu are routinely tested for clade I mpox, officials said. As of Wednesday, all samples have tested negative.
Two types of virus cause mpox — clade I and clade II.
Both types spread the same way, through close contact with body fluids, lesion material or items used by someone with mpox.
Mpox, however, does not spread through the air or casual contact typically encountered in shared spaces like a classroom, office or swimming pool, officials said.
So far, clade I cases in the continental U.S. have been among people who recently traveled to countries with ongoing outbreaks in Western Europe and Central and Eastern Africa.
“DOH encourages anyone who has recently traveled to an area with active transmission, or who has been in close contact with a symptomatic individual, to monitor their health and consult with a healthcare provider regarding potential risks,” said the department in the release.
Symptoms include a rash, accompanied by fever, chills and swollen lymph nodes. The rash typically begins as bumps that progress to blisters and pustules on the hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth, or near the genitals.
Anyone who develops these symptoms and believes they are at high risk should contact their health care provider immediately to discuss testing and vaccination.
To learn more about transmission, testing, treatment, and vaccines, visit health.hawaii.gov/mpox.
