Los Angeles County Confirms First Suspected Case Of Monkeypox; final confirmation by CDC pending

“The patient is an adult resident who has recently traveled and is known to have had close contact with a case,” the county health department said in a statement. “Although the patient is symptomatic, he is doing well and is not being hospitalized. You are isolated from others.”

Health officials said contact tracing is being carried out to identify anyone who was in close proximity to the patient and “post-exposure prevention” efforts have been enacted for close contacts.

Last week, the World Health Organization said 23 countries that previously had no monkeypox have now reported more than 250 cases. On Monday, Britain announced a further 71 cases of monkeypox.

What is monkey pox? What you should know about viruses, symptoms and spread

Monkeypox is known to spread through close physical contact with an infected person, their clothing, or bedding.

Most monkeypox patients experience only fever, body aches, chills, and fatigue. People with more severe illnesses can develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands, which can spread to other parts of the body. No deaths have been reported in the current outbreak outside of Africa.

Monkeypox is related to smallpox but has milder symptoms. After smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980, countries suspended their mass vaccination programs, a move some experts believe could help spread monkeypox now that widespread immunity to related diseases is now low. Smallpox vaccines also protect against monkeypox.

Answers to frequently asked questions about monkeypox can be found on the Ministry of Health website.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.