The total of 76 is almost double the number from last Thursday, when Arballo reported the total probable/confirmed cases stood at 42. There were 28 probable/confirmed cases the previous Thursday.
“We have seen the devastating physical effects of monkeypox on those who have been infected, as well as the emotional toll on partners, family and loved ones,” Riverside County Public Health Officer Geoffrey Leung said in a statement.
Riverside County’s monkeypox cases Monday stood at 59, including 13 confirmed cases and 46 probable ones — up from a total of 34 last Monday — a health official said.
Monkeypox is 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 U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
A limited number of monkeypox vaccines are expected to be distributed to health care providers in the Coachella Valley in the next week or so, with specifics yet to be worked out, the Riverside University Health System announced Tuesday.
