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Probable case of monkeypox found in San Francisco resident
Catherine Ho
,
Lauren Hernández
Updated: June 3, 2022 9:50 p.m.
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An electron microscope image shows mature monkeypox virions (left) and immature virions.
CDC 2003
A probable case of monkeypox has been identified in a San Francisco resident amid a recent rise in cases in the United States and across the globe, public health officials announced on Friday evening.
Information about the San Francisco individual with the probable case could not be released for privacy reasons, but public health officials said that the person traveled to a “location with an outbreak in cases.” A California Department of Public Health laboratory in Richmond confirmed the probable case on Friday. The case will now be sent to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention for final confirmation, public health officials said.
San Francisco health officials revealed the probable case Friday night after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 20 cases of monkeypox have been identified in 11 states, including four in California. The San Francisco case was not counted among the 11.
Until the San Francisco case is confirmed by the CDC, it will be considered to be a probable case of monkeypox. The individual did not report any close contacts in San Francisco “during the time period where they could have spread the infection to others,” public health officials said.
“We were really pleased that this person remained aware and did seek medical attention,” said San Francisco health officer Dr. Susan Philip, who added that the person and their medical provider sought a prompt evaluation.
Philip said Friday that while most monkeypox cases resolve themselves, cases can be “serious in rare cases and we want to prevent further spread in the community.”
“San Francisco is prepared for this case and others, should more occur,” Philip said. “We want to emphasize that this is not a disease that spreads easily through the air like COVID-19, however we do want people who might have been exposed to watch out for symptoms and to see a medical provider immediately if they develop symptoms for an evaluation.”
None of the U.S. cases have resulted in deaths, and the “overwhelming majority” are among people who recently traveled internationally in a time frame that suggests their exposure happened there, said Capt. Jennifer McQuiston, incident manager for the CDC’s monkeypox response, during a media briefing Friday.
The other patients may have had contact with a known case or were identified through contact tracing. But at least one person did not travel and the source of infection is unknown — suggesting the virus may be spreading in the U.S., CDC officials said.
“Ongoing investigation suggests person-to-person community transmission, and CDC urges health departments, clinicians, and the public to remain vigilant, institute appropriate infection prevention and control measures, and notify public health authorities of suspected cases to reduce disease spread,” CDC scientists wrote in a report released Friday that analyzed U.S. monkeypox cases.
The risk to the public is still low, McQuiston said. Officials expect the number of cases to rise as more testing and contact tracing is done. In California, three confirmed cases have been detected in Sacramento County and one in Los Angeles County.
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