An eighth suspected case of monkeypox was discovered in Northern California in an individual who had recently returned from Europe, it was discovered Tuesday afternoon as the virus continued to spread worldwide.
Health officials said the unnamed patient came to a clinic in Sacramento County, home to a city of 500,000, on May 21, just one day after returning from abroad.
They are now isolating themselves at home and are tracking contacts, including people who have shared the same flight, although they said in a briefing that the risk of infecting other people in the state is “extremely low”.
This is the third alleged case opened this week since Washington announced its first case and Florida said it was investigating a second on Monday. There are now seven suspected cases in the United States in six states on the east and west coasts and one confirmed infection in Massachusetts.
None of the patients have been named, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed Monday that they are all men and have traveled abroad in the past month.
Globally, the total has risen to more than 200 confirmed infections in at least 20 countries – mostly in Europe – and at least 100 more are currently being tested. European health officials have warned that the virus could become endemic to the continent – as in the West. Africa – if spread to native wildlife.
The cases are disproportionate among gay and bisexual men, with experts suggesting the outbreak was linked to sex at two raves in Spain and Belgium.
Concerns have also been expressed that the disease has evolved to become more infectious after tests revealed it acquired an additional 50 mutations. But the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday that there were no signs that the virus had become more transmissible.
The alleged case in California now makes Golden State the sixth to have at least one potential case within its borders and bring the total to eight suspected cases
The map above shows the number of cases that have been confirmed and suspected worldwide, including in the United States. The epidemic is currently focused mainly on Europe
Smallpox, first discovered in laboratory monkeys in the late 1950s, is usually mild, but in some cases can cause severe illness. It can kill up to 10 percent of the people it infects. But this outbreak is from a milder, West African, strain of the virus – which has a mortality rate of about one in every 100 cases.
The disease has an incubation period of up to 21 days, which means that it can take three weeks for symptoms to appear. Patients then remain contagious as long as they have warning signs of the disease.
Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion. A rash can also develop, often starting from the face and then spreading to other parts of the body, including the genitals. The rash may look like chickenpox or syphilis and scabs may form that then fall off.
Moderna is testing a vaccine against monkeypox in the United States and Europe
Moderna has revealed that it is testing a potential vaccine against monkeypox in the United States and Europe.
The main producer of vaccines against Covid said it was taking action amid concerns from the World Health Organization about the outbreak.
His vaccine is currently at a “preclinical level” and it is unclear which technology he will use.
Monkeypox is common in West Africa, where it is spread to humans by animals, including squirrels.
But a recent series of cases have occurred in countries where it is not common.
European health officials warn that the virus could become endemic to the continent if it spreads to animals there.
Revealing the alleged case this afternoon, Sacramento Public Health Officer Dr Olivia Casey said the risk to people in the area was still “extremely low”.
They told a briefing: “This case seems to be related to a recent trip to Europe.
“Public health works with [the Department of Health] to keep in touch with contacts and the risk to the general public is extremely low. “
Last night, officials in Washington said a man who had recently returned from abroad had tested positive for a family of viruses that included monkeypox.
The person – from King County, home of Seattle – is now isolated at home and awaits confirmatory results from the CDC test.
Health officials there say there is a “possibility” that monkeypox will spread to others in the state, although they have not yet found “any evidence” of further transmission.
The head of local health, Dr. Jeff Duchin, said: “The risk to the public is low, but it is important that clinicians and the public are aware of the symptoms and risk factors for monkeypox.”
Florida also uncovered a second alleged case Monday in another person in Broward County – which borders Miami. It is unclear whether this is related to the first reported Sunday in the same county.
So far, one case has been confirmed in Massachusetts. Health chiefs are also investigating two cases in Florida and Utah and one each in New York, Washington – and now California.
More than 200 people, mostly health workers, are being monitored for monkeypox infection in Massachusetts, CDC chiefs said yesterday.
But the risk of people catching the virus is low, they added, because it usually requires prolonged skin-to-skin contact.
Health officials monitored six people for a potential infection after sitting in three rows from a seven-hour flight from Nigeria to the United Kingdom. There is no follow-up test report.
Monkeypox is usually spread by touching infectious skin lesions, but can also be transmitted through droplets in the air.
At a CDC briefing yesterday, Dr. John Brooks, a medical epidemiologist at the agency, said many of the patients in the outbreak had genital lesions.
He added that in some cases they were confused with a “very bad” case of herpes.
The CDC said yesterday that it had opened vaccination depots to treat “high-risk” people exposed to the virus.
More than 1,000 doses of Jynneous – a vaccine that can treat both monkeypox and smallpox – are now being given to high-risk individuals in the United States.
People who have received the vaccine may receive their first stroke shortly after potential exposure to boost their immunity levels. They should also receive a second stroke within four weeks.
The CEO of Bavarian Nordic – which makes the vaccine – revealed on Tuesday that they were overwhelmed with calls.
He told CNBC: “We are increasing production as we speak and we hope to be able to provide doses. We have already provided some doses to some European countries and we are doing more with this week.
People who are infected with monkeypox often suffer from severe rashes, skin lesions and flu-like symptoms. The virus kills about one in ten people it infects, although it is estimated that the current strain, which is making its way around the world, has a mortality rate of one percent.
Concerns have been expressed that monkeypox has developed “much more” than expected, as the virus, which is commonly seen only in West Africa, continues to invade the world.
Portuguese virologists tasked with conducting Covid-like studies to track the evolution of the virus say the current strain is very similar to the one that appeared in Britain four years ago.
But samples from a handful of patients killed in the new outbreak suggest the virus has amassed an additional 50 mutations.
Researchers write that this is “much more than one would expect, given the predicted degree of orthopoxvirus replacement.” They also warned that an “evolutionary leap” – as in the case of the Covid Omicron strain – could have created a “hypermutated virus”.
Meanwhile, the Danish maker of the smallpox vaccine, which is also effective against monkeypox, warned last year that outbreaks are becoming more common. He argues that this may be due to the “genetic evolution” of the virus.
But experts are still analyzing the monkeypox genome, and the WHO said yesterday there were no signs that it had mutated. The current strain, which is circulating worldwide, is much milder than other viruses.
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