First Monkeypox Case Confirmed in Riverside County

RIVERSIDE (CNS) – The first suspected monkeypox case in Riverside
County has now been confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, a county spokesperson said today.

Riverside University Health System spokesperson Jose Arballo said
Wednesday that a tissue sample of the first probable case was sent to the CDC,
which confirmed the case as positive.

The individual was identified only as a 60-year-old eastern county
man. He was undergoing treatment in an outpatient setting and did not require
hospitalization, according to the Department of Public Health.

A total of 111 monkeypox cases have been confirmed in California —
the highest of any state — while nationwide, the aggregate count is at 560,
according to the latest CDC data.

As of this week, there were 30 known cases of monkeypox in neighboring
Los Angeles County and suspected cases in San Diego County.

Federal health officials have categorized the general health threat
from monkeypox as low.

It’s generally spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact, resulting
from infectious rashes and scabs, though respiratory secretions and bodily
fluids exchanged during extended physical episodes, such as sexual intercourse,
can also lead to transmission, according to the CDC.

Symptoms include fresh pimples, blisters, rashes, fever and fatigue,
officials said. There is no specific treatment. People who have been infected
with smallpox, or have been vaccinated for it, may have immunity to monkeypox,
according to published reports.

People with symptoms are urged to visit a medical provider, cover the
rash area with clothing, wear a mask and avoid close or skin-to-skin contact
with others.

The CDC particularly recommends those steps for people who recently
traveled to an area where monkeypox cases have been reported, or who have had
contact with a confirmed or suspected monkeypox cases.

A full list of countries that have confirmed monkeypox cases is
available at https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/monkeypox.

A state-by-state tally of cases is available at
https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/us-map.html.

Copyright 2022, City News Service, Inc.

CNS-07-06-2022 12:09