SAN DIEGO — The County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency has identified an additional probable case of hMPXV, also known as human monkeypox, bringing the total probable case count in the region to three.
All probable cases must be verified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and that process can take several days. The two prior probable cases reported by the County on Wednesday have not been verified by the CDC yet.
County health officials say this most recent case has no connection or relation to the first two probable cases, but like the other two, the individual also recently traveled internationally.
Currently, the individual is in isolation and although symptomatic, the patient is doing well and is not hospitalized.
“All three individuals with probable cases of hMPXV here in the region are doing well and are managing their symptoms in home isolation,” said Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., 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.”
Going forward, the County will provide weekly updates on the hMPXV situation in the region on Fridays. The County’s hMPXV website will be updated by 5 p.m. each Friday, excluding holidays.
As of Friday, the CDC has confirmed 113 hMPXV cases in 20 states and the District of Columbia, with California (24), New York (21) and Illinois (15) seeing the largest number of cases.
About Monkeypox
Monkeypox is a viral infection that can spread through contact with body fluids, sores on the body of someone who has monkeypox, or shared items (e.g., clothing and bedding) that have been contaminated with fluids from sores of a person with monkeypox.
The disease can also spread between people through saliva or respiratory droplets, typically between people in a close setting. Although monkeypox is not generally considered a sexually transmitted disease, it can be transmitted during sex through skin-to-skin and other intimate contact, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.
The virus is not known to linger in the air and is not transmitted during short periods of shared airspace.
Cases of monkeypox have previously been identified in travelers from, or residents of, countries in western and central Africa, where monkeypox is considered to be endemic. Since May 2022, monkeypox cases have been reported in several non-endemic countries, including the United States. No deaths have been reported.
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