Of course, the Clade 1b is associated with the more severe symptoms — and is thus of highest concern. But the empirical data so far suggests the data of “catching it” — from an infected seat mate, on a jet… is negligible. That’s good news, as so many will hop on international flights — from as early as June through November of this year, here.
Still — there are reports of people with Clade 2, getting sick on the airplane. So far, none of those have resulted in “close contact” transmission, to others on the plane. But if you’ve had, or have Clade 2, please do not board a plane until you are virus free (no visible legions). In any event, here’s the pretty reassuring news — from the U of Minn’s fine CIDRAP outlet:
…Transmission of clade 1 mpox virus during commercial air travel appears to be uncommon, according to a study published yesterday in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The analysis looked at data from five commercial flights taken by three men with active mpox symptoms to assess the risk of in-flight transmission. The three men were aged 20 to 40 years. The flights took place from November 2024 to January 2025.
Among 60 identified contacts, defined as nearby passengers and crew, one person reported symptoms of fatigue, body aches, and a skin lesion after the flight, but that person tested negative for mpox. No secondary cases were identified….
Based on these results, the CDC discontinued routine aircraft contact tracing for all mpox clades and subclades in 2025. But public health officials continue to recommend that people with mpox avoid travel until they have fully recovered. Vaccination of at-risk groups remains an important tool for reducing transmission and disease severity, the authors said….
Onward, to “remote view” the 2026 Eugene Marathon tomorrow, over the web/on the internet — and track my youngest’s progress in getting down to world class splits. Smile….
नमस्ते
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