Riverside County reports two more probable cases of monkeypox

The Riverside County Department of Public Health has announced two more "probable" cases of monkeypox in the county.

The probable cases are both men, under the age of 60, who live in eastern Riverside County, according to department spokesperson Jose Arballo Jr.

Monkeypox update: RivCo Public Health is reporting two more "probable" cases. They are both men who live in eastern Riverside County younger than 60. Learn more about Monkeypox https://t.co/SBPRyDR297

— Jose Arballo (@rivcohealthpio) July 8, 2022

On Tuesday, the county and the CDC confirmed its first case of monkeypox. The patient was also a man, under the age of 60, located in eastern Riverside County.

The first patient was treated at an Eisenhower facility, according to Lee Rice, Eisenhower Health spokesperson.

The county has a limited amount of monkeypox vaccines. It can only give the vaccine for the recommended use after exposure. The county is expecting a bigger supply but it doesn't know when it'll arrive. For now, county officials are working on creating a monkeypox dashboard similar to their COVID one that would be updated regularly.

News Channel 3 spoke with Riverside County's Chief of Disease Control to learn more about the vaccine plan

Health officials say to talk to your doctor if:

• You believe you were exposed to Monkeypox
  OR
• You develop symptoms, such as fever, headache muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills exhaustion or a rash that looks like pimples or blisters

If you have lesions, health officials said not to attend social events where you might spread the disease. If you suspect you have monkeypox, contact your physician or an urgent care facility.

According to the CDC, symptoms of monkeypox can include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Muscle aches and backache
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Chills
• Exhaustion
• A rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body, like the hands, feet, chest, genitals, or anus.

You can see a full list of symptoms at: https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/symptoms.html

"Not every rash is monkey box, and not every rash would be where he would be, it would necessitate testing, you have to take the entire picture into consideration," said Arballo.

As of July 8, there are 791 confirmed cases of monkeypox in the United States. Residents are encouraged to review the CDC’s tips for preventing exposure to monkeypox. 

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

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.