Santa Clara County reveals monkeypox case shortly after Bay Area warning

 A medical laboratory technician shows a suspected monkeypox sample at the microbiology laboratory of La Paz Hospital on June 06, 2022 in Madrid, Spain.
A medical laboratory technician shows a suspected monkeypox sample at the microbiology laboratory of La Paz Hospital on June 06, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. Photo credit Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Santa Clara County public health officials have detected the county's first probable monkeypox case.

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The Santa Clara County Public Health Department said in a Thursday afternoon press release that local, state and federal officials are investigating the case after a person who had recently traveled internationally "preliminarily tested positive for monkeypox virus after seeking medical care," and the person is isolating as officials await results from a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention test.

Santa Clara County officials didn't say where the person traveled, nor did they provide any other identifying information "for reasons of medical privacy." County officials will reach out to possible close contacts about potential exposure.

Officials announced the discovery about an hour after public health officials across the Bay Area urged awareness of the virus, and the same day the World Health Organization's emergency committee considered declaring monkeypox a global health emergency.

Although the risk of monkeypox exposure is low for most people, some cases can be serious. Cases often begin with flu-like symptoms, leading to a rash that can last as long as four weeks.

Higher-risk behaviors increase the potential for infection, and Bay Area officials said Thursday that residents should be wary of "crowded, indoor spaces" with "close skin-to-skin contact, sex, kissing" and "close breathing." Having sex with multiple partners can also put you at greater risk of infection, as can sharing bedding or clothing with someone who has been infected.

"Gay and bisexual men are disproportionately affected by this virus in our region, and we stand together with these communities to support residents in protecting themselves and taking care of their health," Dr. Monika Roy, the county's communicable disease controller and assistant health officer said in a release on Thursday.

Roy said in a press conference on Thursday afternoon that officials anticipate more cases, although "the pandemic potential is much lower" than COVID-19.

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Featured Image Photo Credit: Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images