First Presumptive Case of Monkeypox Reported in LA County

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed the first presumptive case of monkeypox in the county on June 2. The infected person is an adult, who recently traveled and was in close contact with someone who was infected. The Department of Public Health is waiting for the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s final confirmation that the patient really is infected, as a presumptive case merely means they are symptomatic and have been in contact with an infected person. The patient has symptoms, but is doing well and not being hospitalized. The patient is being isolated. 

According to the Department of Public Health, the risk of monkeypox in the general population is very low. There have been 19 reported cases in the United States, according to the CDC’s website.

People who are infected with monkeypox usually take seven to 14 days for symptoms to appear, but can take five to 21 days. First they will have a fever, headache, muscle aches and exhaustion, followed by a rash. The illness will usually last from two to four weeks.