RALEIGH, N.C. (WBTV) – Mpox particles were found in routine wastewater tests in North Carolina.
The particles were found in samples collected on March 25, 28, and April 8 in Greenville, which, officials said, meant there was possibly at least one person with an undiagnosed or unreported case living in or traveling through the area.
Read also: Infectious disease specialist with Atrium Health answers questions about mpox
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services asked the community to be on alert.
“The detection of clade I mpox virus in wastewater surveillance tells us the virus is potentially here in our state, even though no cases have been reported and confirmed,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai in a press release. “We encourage health care providers to be on the lookout for mpox cases and we encourage people who are at higher risk to protect themselves by getting vaccinated.”
What is mpox
Formerly known as monkeypox, the disease was first seen in Mecklenburg County in 2022, two years after COVID-19 was first detected there.
It’s a viral illness with flu-like symptoms, a rash with red bumps, and swollen lymph nodes. Health experts warned it can look like chickenpox, and while it is not a sexually transmitted infection, it could be confused with herpes.
Mpox has two genetic types, clade I and clade II. Clade I was found in the recent tests and, according to health officials, was responsible for a large outbreak in Central and East Africa. That clade appeared to spread through heterosexual contact with some spread to household members, including children.
Healthcare providers who suspect mpox in their patients were instructed to ask about recent international travel. If mpox is confirmed, they should call the area health department or NCDHHS Division of Public Health’s 24/7 epidemiologist on-call number, 919-733-3419.
Testing at risk
The particles were found by the North Carolina Wastewater Monitoring Network that launched in 2021.
A partnership between NCDHHS, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, wastewater utilities and local health departments, wastewater samples are taken from 35 facilities across the state and tested for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
Four of those sites were located in Mecklenburg County.
Read also: Mecklenburg County using wastewater to track the spread of COVID-19
Now, the program is at risk of being shut down due to federal funding cuts. Wastewater surveillance funding is just one of several programs looked at to reduce spending as the Department of Government Efficiency, under the leadership of President Donald Trump, spent the first months of 2025 looking at ways to cut government spending.
On a national level, public health officials were told in January to stop working with the World Health Organization, despite current investigations into Marburg virus, mpox, and bird flu outbreaks.
Anyone with questions about mpox can visit the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services website for more information.
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