Traveler may be California’s 1st monkeypox case

A Sacramento County resident who recently traveled to Europe may have the first confirmed case of the monkeypox virus in California, officials said Tuesday.

Confirmation for the monkeypox virus is pending with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state public health department said in a news release. The patient had traveled to areas in Europe where cases of monkeypox have been confirmed. The patient is isolating at home.

Officials said that the risk of monkeypox to the general public is very low. US cases are related to international travel or from animals imported from areas where the disease is more common, they said.

The state and county began investigating the possible infection Saturday.

Symptoms include fever, headache, muscles aches, swollen lymph nodes and exhaustion with the patient developing a rash, often starting on the face, within a day or three of fever.

Transmission occurs when a person comes into prolonged contact with an animal, person or materials that have the virus. The virus can enter the body through broken skin, respiratory tract, or eyes, nose, or mouth.

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