Maine has identified its first two cases of clade I mpox, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said in an Oct. 9 advisory.
Mpox is a viral illness that often causes a rash and can spread through close contact. A clade is a genetic branch of the virus. Clade I, pronounced "clade one," and clade II are its two main groups.
Clade I has historically caused more severe illness and more deaths than clade II, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Clade II caused the global outbreak that began in 2022. CDC says most people with mpox recover with supportive care and pain management.
Maine CDC counted six confirmed or probable mpox cases in 2026 as of Oct. 9. Four were reported since Sept. 23: two in Knox County, one in Sagadahoc County and one in Androscoggin County. Testing to identify the clade was continuing for two of those cases.
Maine CDC said most patients had no recent travel outside the United States and that it had found no indication connecting the four recent cases.
Maine CDC urged clinicians to watch for symptoms including rash, fever, chills and swollen lymph nodes, and to offer vaccination to people at risk. Its advisory lists vaccination recommendations and says the state immunization program provides Jynneos for eligible people through age 64.
Sources
Maine CDC health advisory, Oct. 9, 2026