Riverside County Monkeypox Cases Exceed 100

Riverside County Public Health is reporting 13 new possible, probable cases of Monkeypox in the county. These new cases raise the total monkeypox infection number to 107. The new cases include 11 men, 9 of them residents in the Coachella Valley and the other 2 are from western Riverside County. The ages vary between 25 and 65 years old. RivCo Public Health is reporting 13 new probable/confirmed Monkeypox cases. All are male; 11 from the Coachella Valley and two from western RivCo between ages of 25 and 65. Total for Riverside County is 107. — Jose Arballo (@rivcohealthpio) August 17, 2022 The first female case of Monkeypox was reported on Tuesday, but public health did not specify where in the county she is from. This Monday, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors ratified a public health emergency proclamation signed by Dr. Geoffrey Leung August 8. Across the state several other counties and cities have issued similar public health emergencies. According to Jose Arballo, Riverside University Health System public information officer, the county has issued 75% of its allotment of Monkeypox JYNNEOS vaccine to DAP Health, Eisenhower Medical Center, Borrego Health and RUHS’ EIP clinic in the Coachella Valley. The remaining 25% will be used by Riverside University Health System. The county is also working with community partners to expand eligibility for the two-shot vaccines to include at-risk individuals, and to set up treatment sites with Tecovirimat — an antiviral medication used to treat orthopoxvirus infections such as monkeypox. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health advise that the vaccine be prioritized for high- risk and exposed patients. Gay and bisexual men are at increased risk of contracting the virus, according to the CDC. The World Health Organization has declared monkeypox a "public health emergency of international concern." Monkeypox is generally spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact, resulting from infectious rashes and scabs, though respiratory secretions and bodily fluids exchanged during extended physical episodes such as sexual intercourse can also lead to transmission, according to the CDC. Symptoms include fresh pimples, blisters, rashes, fever and fatigue. There is no specific treatment. People who have been infected with smallpox, or have been vaccinated for it, may have immunity to monkeypox. People with symptoms are urged to visit a medical provider, cover the rash area with clothing, wear a mask and avoid close or skin-to-skin contact with others. The CDC particularly recommends those steps for people who recently traveled to an area where monkeypox cases have been reported or who have had contact with a confirmed or suspected monkeypox case. A full list of countries that have confirmed monkeypox cases is available at wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/monkeypox. A state-by-state tally of cases is available at www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/us-map.html.