San Diego County Health officials identified a third monkeypox case, though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have not confirmed any of the three.
County officials said the most recent case has no connection or relation to the first two probable cases, first announced Wednesday. Health officials say all three individuals contracted the symptoms during recent international travel.
​​”All three individuals with probable cases of hMPXV here in the region are doing well and are managing their symptoms in home isolation,'' said Dr. Wilma J. Wooten, county public health officer. “Most individuals who become infected experience mild to moderate symptoms and the risk of contracting the virus remains very low for the general population.''
Health officials say the infection spreads through contact with bodily fluids, monkeypox sores, or shared items such as bedding or clothing that has been contaminated with fluids. It can also be transmitted through saliva and sexual contact. The virus is not known to linger in the air and is not transmitted during short periods of shared airspace.
Most people who develop monkeypox have only a mild illness that goes away within two to four weeks without treatment. 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.
There have not been any deaths related to Monkeypox in the United States. Monkeypox clusters have been reported in other countries that normally do not report monkeypox, including Europe and elsewhere in North America. At this time, it is not clear how people in these clusters were exposed to monkeypox.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is closely monitoring monkeypox transmission in the U.S. and California to ensure rapid identification of cases. The risk of monkeypox to the public is currently very low based on the information available.
San Diego County will provide weekly updates on the monkeypox situation in the region on Fridays.
For more information on San Diego County's response, go to www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/phs/community_epidemiology/dc/Human-monkeypox.html
