First confirmed monkeypox case arrives in San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County Department of Public Health officials announced Friday the arrival of the first confirmed positive case of monkeypox.
The single case of the viral disease occurred in a man in Fontana who recently traveled out of state.
In California, more than 400 cases of monkeypox have been reported over the past several weeks, with the first case being reported in May of this year, SBC health officials said.
Related: Rising reports of monkeypox cases in US and around the world raise concern
“Most people who become infected with monkeypox experience only mild symptoms that resolve on their own after two to four weeks,” said SBC Health Officer Dr. Sequeira in a written statement. “The risk of contracting monkeypox is low for the general public.”
Monkeypox spreads primarily through contact with infectious sores, scabs, or body fluids due to close personal contact.
Pediatric cases
The first two U.S. cases of monkeypox in children have been confirmed as part of a record outbreak of more than 2,800 infections nationwide, according to the Washington Post.
The pediatric cases detected this week in an infant, and a toddler are likely the result of household transmission, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky in a Washington Post Live interview on Friday.
The CDC and public health authorities are still investigating how the children became infected.
The two cases are unrelated and in different jurisdictions. The toddler is in California, and the infant’s case was confirmed while the family was traveling in Washington, D.C., but they are not residents of this country, the CDC reported.
Monkeypox prevention
Monkeypox can spread through touching materials used by a person with monkeypox that hasn’t been cleaned, such as clothing and bedding. It can also spread by respiratory secretions during prolonged, close, face-to-face contact.
SBC health officials suggest the following to prevent the spread of monkeypox.
Talk to your sexual partner/s about any recent illness and being aware of new or unexplained sores or rashes on your body or your partner’s body, including on the genital areas.
Avoid close contact with people with symptoms like sores or rashes.
Practice good hand hygiene.
People who become infected should isolate themselves until their symptoms are improving or have gone away completely.
A rash should always be well-covered until completely healed.
Use appropriate personal protective equipment (like a mask, gown, and gloves) when caring for others with symptoms.
Avoid contact with infected materials contaminated with the virus.
Avoid contact with infected animals.
Contact your healthcare provider for further testing and evaluation if you have a new or unexplained rash or other symptoms. If you do not have a healthcare provider, visit a public health clinic near you.
Monkeypox vaccine
San Bernardino County is partnering with healthcare providers throughout the county to make the monkeypox vaccine more widely available.
Dr. Walensky said the government’s response is growing stronger daily, and vaccine supplies will soon surge.
“I think we still have an opportunity to contain this,” Walensky told The Associated Press.
Two monkeypox vaccines (JYNNEOS and ACAM2000) are currently available in the U.S. via the Strategic National Stockpile, according to California Department of Public Health officials.
The federal government has allocated a limited number of JYNNEOS vaccine doses to Californians.
The CDPH is working with local health departments to make these doses available to protect against monkeypox.
JYNNEOS is licensed for adults 18 years and over. It is administered as a two-dose injection series in the upper arm at least four weeks apart.
On July 19, California sent a letter to the CDCP outlining a request for additional vaccine doses.
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To learn more about monkeypox, visit wp.sbcounty.gov/dph/monkeypox or call the Communicable Disease Section at 800-722-4794.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Fontana man is first confirmed case of monkeypox in San Bernardino County
