Riverside County reports first probable case of Monkeypox

Riverside County health officials are reporting the county’s first probable Monkeypox case.

Officials said tests conducted on tissue samples from the unidentified man from eastern Riverside County showed a preliminary positive for an Orthopoxvirus.

Additional testing will be conducted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) laboratory to confirm whether it is Monkeypox, according to Dr. Geoffrey Leung, public health officer for Riverside County.

The individual, who is under the age of 60, was seen in an outpatient setting and did not require hospitalization. Local health officials are coordinating with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to make sure all state recommendations and guidelines are being followed.

“We are investigating the circumstances surrounding the case to determine the best course of action moving forward,” said Leung. “Given that there have been other probable cases in the region it is not surprising that we would have one in Riverside County.”

Health officials in Los Angeles and San Diego counties have also reported probable cases. There have been cases reported in various states nationally, but the CDC classifies the threat to the general population as “low.”

Monkeypox is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact and does not spread easily between people without close contact.

Symptoms include a rash that may look like pimples or blisters, and may be accompanied by fever, swollen lymph nodes, or fatigue. 

There are no treatments that are specific for monkeypox.  Health officials said that in limited situations, vaccination (developed to prevent smallpox) may be recommended for close contacts or those who may have been exposed to the virus.

To learn more about monkeypox, visit: https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/symptoms.html