4th Case Of Monkeypox Detected In Sacramento County
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. (CBS13) -- Health officials said Monday that they've identified the fourth presumptive case of monkeypox in Sacramento County.
Dr. Olivia Kasirye, the county's public health officer, said in a statement that the case is under investigation with contact tracing underway. She added that the general risk to the public "remains low."
This latest case comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed three other monkeypox cases in the county. The first case was noted two weeks ago and was believed to be related to travel in Europe.
Monkeypox is a viral infection that is transmitted primarily through rodents and primates in parts of west Africa. The virus can also be transmitted from human to human through close contact. While it's not a sexually transmitted disease, many of the recent cases seen in Europe have been spread through sex between men.
European health officials raised the alarm about an outbreak weeks ago, and since then there've been hundreds of documented cases in countries that generally don't see the disease.
Monkeypox symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and exhaustion, health officials say. Infected people develop a rash that often begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body. The sickness generally lasts two to four weeks following an incubation period between seven and 14 days.
Those concerned about possible monkeypox exposure are encouraged to contact their health care provider.
