Muristek
Two additional cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in Santa Barbara County, according to the Public Health Department.
This brings the county’s total of confirmed cases to three.
The community members with monkeypox remain in isolation, the department said in a news release. Public Health has completed contact tracing with these persons to identify anyone who may have had close contact with them. Persons identified in contact tracing are being monitored for symptoms, and appropriate public health interventions are being taken, according to the health department.
The department said the risk to the public remains low.
“As we continue to identify cases of monkeypox locally, it is important for our community to understand how this virus spreads and how it does not spread,” Dr. Henning Ansorg, the county health officer, said in a news release. “This virus most commonly spreads through prolonged, direct physical contact with someone who is currently infectious. It is highly unlikely to spread through short interactions that do not involve physical contact.”
Monkeypox can spread through:
— Direct contact with the infectious rash, scabs or body fluids.
Respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling or sex.
— Touching items (such as clothing or linens) that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids.
— Pregnant people can spread the virus to their fetus through the placenta.
Symptoms of monkeypox usually begin one to two weeks after infection. They can include fever, headache, muscle aches and backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, respiratory symptoms (e.g. sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough) or a rash that can look like pimples or blisters that appears on the face, inside the mouth, and on other parts of the body such as hands, feet, chest, genitals or anus.
The rash goes through different stages before healing completely.
Anyone who may have been exposed to monkeypox and/or has symptoms consistent with monkeypox is asked to contact their healthcare provider as soon as possible or contact County Public Health at 805-681-5280 or PHDDiseaseControl@sbcphd.org.
Cases will be reported on the County Public Health Monkeypox webpage on Tuesdays and Thursdays. See www.countyofsb.org/3404/Monkeypox.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
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