This electron microscopic (EM) image depicted a monkeypox virion, obtained from a clinical sample associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak. Santa Clara County announced a second probable case of moneypox of June 30, 2022. Courtesy CDC/Cynthia S. Goldsmith via Public Health Image Library.
Another probable case of monkeypox has been found in a Santa Clara County resident, the county Public Health Department said Thursday.
The case is not connected to a previous case, which health authorities announced on June 23. If confirmed, it would be the second monkeypox case in the county. The person preliminarily tested positive for monkeypox virus after seeking medical care and is in isolation, the department said in a June 30 statement.
The case was reported to the department as required by law, and confirmation of monkeypox is pending testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the county said. Public health staff are contacting all individuals who might have come in contact with the person while they were contagious.
The department is working with local medical providers to increase their awareness of the symptoms of monkeypox, how to prevent transmission and appropriate reporting to state and local health authorities.
Monkeypox is a rare disease. Symptoms typically include a fever, intense headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, swollen lymph nodes and a skin rash or lesions. The rash usually begins within one to three days of the start of a fever. Lesions can be flat or slightly raised, filled with clear or yellowish fluid, and can then crust, dry up and fall off. The number of lesions range from a few to several thousand. The rash tends to be concentrated on the face, palms of the hands and soles of the feet, but can also be found on the mouth, genitals and eyes. It can last for two to four weeks, according to the World Health Organization.
