First Monkeypox Case Confirmed In Eastern Riverside County

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA — The first suspected monkeypox case in Riverside County has now been confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a county spokesperson said Wednesday.

Riverside University Health System spokesperson Jose Arballo said that a tissue sample of the first probable case was sent to the CDC, which confirmed the case as positive.

The individual was identified only as a 60-year-old eastern county man from Coachella Valley. He is being treated at the Eisenhower facility in Coachella Valley, according to Lee Rice, Eisenhower Health spokesperson.

He was undergoing treatment in an outpatient setting and did not require hospitalization, according to the Riverside County Department of Public Health.

In a news release, Eisenhower Health described the treatment for the patient and those at risk of exposure:

"At this time, Eisenhower Health can only provide the vaccine for the recommended use of vaccination after exposure (also called post-exposure prophylaxis or PEP) as directed by Riverside County Public Health on a case-by-case basis. There has been no prescribed directive or vaccine supply provided for administration of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for at-risk patients"

A total of 111 monkeypox cases have been confirmed in California -- the highest of any state -- while nationwide, the aggregate count is at 560, according to the latest CDC data.

Read: What Is Monkeypox? What California Residents Need To Know

As of this week, there were 30 known cases of monkeypox in neighboring Los Angeles County and suspected cases in San Diego County.

Riverside County Disease Control Director Barbara Cole has said that though transmission is low, people want preventative measures. Paying attention to the signs can prevent monkeypox spread, she told News Channel 3 KESQ in a recent interview.

"If people have intimate contact with someone, do they have a rash? Are they ill? so they avoid direct exposure if that's possible," she said.

Federal health officials have categorized the general health threat from monkeypox as low.

The oddly named virus was first diagnosed in monkeys kept for research in 1958, according to the CDC. The first human case was reported about a decade later, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Monkeypox is primarily found in central and western African countries, including in Nigeria, where about 450 cases have been reported since 2017, according to the CDC.

HOW MONKEYPOX IS SPREAD:

The monkeypox virus 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 CDC.

SYMPTOMS OF MONKEYPOX:

Symptoms include fresh pimples, blisters, rashes, fever and fatigue, officials said. There is no specific treatment. People who have been infected with smallpox, or have been vaccinated for it, may have immunity to monkeypox, according to published reports.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU DEVELOP MONKEYPOX SYMPTOMS:

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.

The CDC particularly recommends those steps for people who recently traveled to an area where monkeypox cases have been reported, or who have had contact with a confirmed case of monkeypox or suspected monkeypox cases.

To learn more, or if you believe you have been exposed to Monkeypox, call (951) 358-5107.

A full list of countries that have confirmed monkeypox cases is available at wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/monkeypox.

A state-by-state tally of cases is available at www.cdc.gov/poxvirus.