SANTA ANA, Calif.—Orange County reported its first presumptive case of monkeypox June 30.
Local officials presumed the case to be monkeypox, and are performing contact tracing and working to prevent further infections. In the meantime, Orange County authorities are awaiting confirmation of the case from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to the Orange County Health Care Agency, the person is currently in isolation.
“We consider it serious, and it is an ongoing investigation as to the extent of it in our county,” Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman Doug Chaffee said. “After that investigation, we‘ll let the public know how to combat it. When we have more information we’ll let the public know.”
The infection came to light earlier this week when a primary care physician suspected it and alerted the county’s Communicable Disease Control unit, one official said.
County officials are “working with all relevant agencies and partners to track, control, and curtail the spread of monkeypox within the county,” Dr. Christopher Zimmerman, the county’s communicable disease control division, said in a statement.
The county has vaccines available for anyone exposed to the virus.
As of Tuesday, there have been 4,769 cases worldwide and 306 cases in the United States. The country’s first confirmed case was reported in Massachusetts May 18.
County officials alert that if anyone suspects they have symptoms they should call their doctor, cover the rash with clothing, wear a mask and avoid skin-to-skin contact with anyone else while also isolating themselves from family members and pets.
