Second California case of monkeypox announced

California health authorities announced Friday that a second individual has caught monkeypox as a result of close contact with the state's first case, according to a report by CalMatters.org.

In Sacramento County, California, the first case of monkeypox was recorded on Tuesday.

The first person recently returned from a vacation to Europe, where there have been recent reports of clusters of infections. Officials did not provide the date the person returned from their vacation, nor did they provide any demographic information. Contact tracing was used to identify the second person.

Both persons are isolated in their houses, according to Sacramento County Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye.

"The general population is not at risk," Kasirye told CalMatters.org.

While the health advisory and news conference held by the Sacramento County Division of Public Health on Tuesday are reminiscent of the COVID-19 pandemic's early days, scientists believe monkeypox is less transmissible than coronavirus and the disease is less severe. They claim it will not be the next COVID.

People should be aware, but not concerned, according to health professionals.

The individual was afflicted with a virus related to monkeypox, according to preliminary test findings from the county public health laboratory. On Monday, samples were forwarded to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as the state health agency. On Wednesday, the CDC verified the Sacramento patient's monkeypox diagnosis.

In the United States, there are nine additional known examples.

Sacramento County health authorities are collaborating with the CDC and the California Department of Public Health to identify the suspected case's close connections, as well as others who may have been on the same aircraft from Europe. Kasirye did not say how many individuals she considers to be close friends.

If doctors anticipate a positive case, the state health agency has instructed them to contact their local health department right once.

Given the disease's rarity, the state's testing capacity is restricted, but authorities are striving to expand their capacities and are ready to collect samples, according to the department's instruction.

Despite the fact that the instances in the United States, including those in California, have been mild, Kasirye believes it is still necessary to restrict transmission.

"For us in public health, the fear is always that some people may have a serious sickness, and we want to make sure that we don't have any more cases," she added.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms for monkeypox disease usually include fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes and often a rash. If the lymph nodes become so swollen that breathing is compromised, that’s a concern.” But those are rare, McQuiston said. The incubation time is anywhere from five to 21 days, and a person is considered infectious when symptoms start until the skin lesions have fully healed.

How is it transmitted?

Monkeypox is transmitted through close physical contact, usually with bodily fluids, such as saliva, or through respiratory droplets during prolonged face-to-face contact. “It’s not a situation where if you’re passing someone in the grocery store, they’re going to be at risk for monkeypox,” McQuiston said. People most at risk are those with intimate contact with an infected person, as well as family members or health care workers caring for someone with an active infection.

Is there treatment for monkeypox?

There is no specific treatment for monkeypox. Most infections are mild and get better on their own within two to four weeks, according to public health experts. Because of its similarity to smallpox, smallpox vaccination may also protect people from monkeypox infections. Routine smallpox vaccination stopped after the disease was declared eradicated in the 1980s, so smallpox vaccines aren’t generally available to the public. The CDC has said that in case of a monkeypox outbreak in the U.S., it would release guidance on who should get vaccinated. &# 8220;We’re working now to develop recommendations to ensure that the vaccine supplies that we have are available to those who need it,” McQuiston said on Monday.

Where did it originate and why is it spreading now?

The first case of monkeypox in humans was first recorded in the 1970s, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where most infections are today, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The monkeypox is endemic in West and Central Africa and rare in other parts of the world, which is why the recent outbreaks in countries outside of Africa are causing alarm. At least 12 other countries, mostly in Europe, have confirmed monkeypox infections as of today. The cluster of infections in European countries have been linked to sexual activity at two large party events in Spain and Belgium.

“It’s absolutely 100% not going to be the next COVID-19,” said Dr. George Rutherford, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco. &# This isn’t the case with monkeypox. In that instance, most people were exposed to infected prairie dogs. We want to hear from you Want to submit a guest commentary or reaction to an article we wrote? You can find our submission guidelines here.