California sees first suspected case in Sacramento County
The California Department of Public Health is investigating what it says is the first suspected case of monkeypox in a Sacramento County resident.
The unnamed patient tested positive for orthopox virus, the virus that causes monkeypox, last Saturday after they returned from traveling abroad, Public Health said.
“The patient is isolating” to prevent infecting others, Public Health said.
A Richmond state lab is testing new specimens of the Sacramento County resident to verify the first test results, public health announced Tuesday morning.
The state agency said it is working with Sacramento County Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to “ensure proper care and response.” This includes testing and isolating the people the patient came in contact with before they tested positive.
No reports of the disease are known in the northern state, Shasta County Public Health said Monday.
“The risk of monkeypox in the general population is very low,” Public Health announced.
The disease has been rare so far, the CDC said, but it is still important for people in the health fields to become familiar with the symptoms of monkeypox.
Take a closer look at monkeypox:Reports of rare cases of monkeypox worldwide are a cause for concern
This is especially important if a patient has traveled to an area where there is an outbreak of smallpox or had contact with a person who may have the disease, Public Health said.
O The CDC urged health care workers to monitor patients for rashes and diseases compatible with monkeypox.
As of this week, Public Health has tracked down possible cases of smallpox in people in Florida, Utah, New York and Massachusetts, according to the World Health Organization. Canada is tracking up to 20 cases and outbreak groups are occurring in Europe and Africa.
Symptoms of monkeypox, vaccines
The virus known as monkeypox has symptoms similar to those seen in patients with smallpox, although it is less severe. who said. “With the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and the subsequent cessation of smallpox vaccination, monkeypox has emerged as the most important orthopoxvirus for public health.”
Monkeypox virus enters the body through broken skin, even through small cuts that are not visible. reported the CDC. It can also be inhaled or absorbed, entering the body through the airways or mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and mouth. People can also achieve this by sharing body fluids: sex, kissing, touching blood on contaminated surfaces, and so on.
“Respiratory drops don’t usually travel more than a few feet, so prolonged face-to-face contact is necessary,” the CDC said.
Symptoms usually appear a week to two weeks after exposure, but that window can be as short as five days or up to three weeks. said the CDC. Early symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, and exhaustion. The lymph nodes often swell, a symptom not seen in smallpox. A day or more after the infected person has a fever, it develops a rash that usually begins on the face and spreads to other parts of the body.
Vaccines help protect people from monkeypox when given properly before exposure, according to the CDC. Once a person has tested positive the vaccines can still help, but “the sooner an exposed person gets the vaccine, the better.”
O CDC recommends people exposed to monkeypox receive a vaccine within 4 days from the date they were exposed to help prevent the onset of the disease. If a person is not vaccinated until four to 14 days after exposure, the vaccine can help reduce the symptoms of the disease, probably not prevent it.
For more information, visit the CDC’s “Monkeypox in the USA” website at bit.ly/3Gh2Ni1.
Jessica Skropanic is a feature reporter for Record Searchlight / USA Today Network. It covers science, art, social issues and entertainment stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and forward Facebook. Join Jessica no Out! Nin Cal recreational Facebook group. To support and maintain this work, subscribe today. Thank you.
California sees first suspected case in Sacramento County Source link California sees first suspected case in Sacramento County
