LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. — Los Angeles County health officials said Thursday they have confirmed the county's first presumptive case of monkeypox, but they are awaiting final confirmation of the case by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"The patient is an adult resident who recently traveled and had a known close contact to a case," according to a statement from the county Department of Public Health. "Although the patient is symptomatic, they are doing well and not hospitalized. They are isolated from others."
Health officials said they are performing contact-tracing to identify anyone who was in close proximity to the person, and they are engaged in "post-exposure prevention" efforts for close contacts.
Three cases of monkeypox were previously confirmed in Sacramento County in Northern California.
The infection can cause lesser symptoms such as fever and body aches before developing into a rash that spreads across the body.
Since monkeypox cases are usually more common in African nations, its appearance in the United States has generated headlines, particularly among a populace weary of the COVID-19 pandemic. But health officials insist monkeypox is far less infectious. Los Angeles County health officials said, "The risk of monkeypox in the general population remains very low."
WATCH RELATED: Sacramento County Public Health investigating potential case of monkeypox (May 24, 2022)
