A er1 a rt
TO:
FROM:
Honorable Mayor and City Council
City Manager
October 3, 2022
SUBJECT: PASADENA LOCAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO THE MONKEYPOX (MPX) VIRUS
RECOMMENDATION:
1. The following report is for information only; no City Council action is required.
BACKGROUND:
MPX was first identified in 1958 and occurs primarily in Central and West African countries. Historically, MPX cases have rarely occurred in the U.S. and had mostly been related to international travel or importation of infected animals. The current global outbreak represents a significant increase in reported cases where MPX is not commonly seen, including in Europe, Canada, the United States and California and significant amounts of endemically-acquired infection.
As of September 27, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified 25,341 cases in the United States with 4,886 cases in California. Los Angeles County has reported 2, 143 cases including 27 cases in Pasadena. There has been one death due to MPX, a resident of Los Angeles County.
MPX can spread through contact with body fluids, sores, or shared items (such as clothing and bedding) that have been contaminated with fluids from sores of a person with MPX. Although MPX is not generally considered a sexually transmitted infection, it can be transmitted during sex through prolonged skin-to-skin and other intimate contact, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. For most individuals, the current risk of MPX is low. MPX is a public health concern because the illness is similar to smallpox and can be spread efficiently from person to person and to a lesser extent, materials contaminated with the virus. MPX is less transmissible and usually less severe than smallpox. ·
The current MPX situation is evolving and the Pasadena Public Health Department (PPHD) is closely monitoring MPX transmission locally to ensure rapid identification of 10/03/2022 MEETING OF _____ _ 9
AGENDA ITEM NO.---~-
PASADENA LOCAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO MPX VIRUS
October 3, 2022
cases and prevention among close contacts. The PPHD is coordinating local outreach to organizations and entities who may have significant amounts of people who may be at higher risk or eligible for MPX vaccination. The PPHD is working regionally and with statewide collaborations to ensure case coordination, testing availability and treatment options. City staff from the Finance, Library, and Water & Power Departments have been deployed to PPHD to aid in case coordination and vaccination efforts. Thus far, the PPHD and its partners have administered 245 vaccines for the prevention of MPX.
When MPX cases are reported, City of Pasadena staff support patients with suspected or confirmed infection and work with the patient to recall everyone with whom they had close contact during the timeframe in which they may have been infectious. Staff reach out to exposed ,people to share that they've been in close contact with an infected person and to give them information and support to help them keep themselves and their loved ones safe. These response efforts are time intensive and require additional resources.
The local emergency proclamation ratified by City Council on September 12, 2022, has allowed the City to take all actions necessary to implement preventive measures to protect and preserve public health, including, but not limited to, mobilizing City resources, accelerating emergency planning; streamlining staffing; coordinating across other agencies; expediting the ability of the City to purchase necessary supplies to combat MPX; allowing for future reimbursement by the state and federal governments; and raising awareness throughout Pasadena about MPX, including how people can lower their risk and stop the spread.
The City continues to work collaboratively with our local, county, state, and federal partners to support MPX planning and response strategies to preserve and protect the health of Pasadena residents.
Prepared by:
Lisa Derderian
Emergency Management
Coordinator/PIO
Respectfully submitted,
MIG~du~
City Manager