The Sacramento County Division of Public Health is investigating a case of monkeypox virus related to travel in Europe. Confirmation testing from CDC and CDPH is pending. Based on symptoms and preliminary testing, monkeypox confirmation is likely.
The patient is isolating at home and is not in contact with any other people. Risk to the general public is very minimal. The individual under investigation recently traveled to areas in Europe where cases of monkeypox have been confirmed.
Transmission of monkeypox virus occurs when a person comes into contact with the virus from an animal, human, or materials contaminated with the virus. The virus enters the body through broken skin (even if not visible), respiratory tract, or the mucous membranes (eyes, nose, or mouth). Respiratory droplets generally cannot travel more than a few feet, so prolonged face-to-face contact is required. Monkeypox is an extremely rare diagnosis in the United States.
“This case appears to be related to recent travel to Europe,” said Dr. Olivia Kasirye, Sacramento County Public Health Officer. “Public Health is working with CDPH to conduct contact tracing, and risk to the general public is extremely low.”
Monkeypox does not occur naturally in the United States and cases in the US are very rare. US cases are related to international travel or importing animals from areas where the disease is more common.
Symptoms of Monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion. Within 1-3 days (sometimes longer) after the appearance of fever, the patient develops a rash, often beginning on the face and then spreading to other parts of the body. The incubation period (time from infection to symptoms) for monkeypox is usually 7−14 days but can range from 5−21 days. The illness typically lasts for 2−4 weeks.
