A fourth suspected monkeypox case has been identified in Sacramento County and nearly three dozen close contacts for all the cases have received a vaccine, public health officials said on Monday. All of the cases have been linked to the initial case stemming from someone who had recently traveled to Europe.
That case was first reported by a health provider on May 21. “At this time the risk to the general public is low but people still do need to be aware,” Public Health Officer Dr. Olivia Kasirye said in a briefing. The fourth person was identified last week and the results from initial testing came back on Friday.
The case still needs to be confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All of those with suspected or confirmed monkeypox cases have mild illnesses and are staying at home, Kasirye said. Thirty close contacts have received a monkeypox vaccine, which has to be ordered from the CDC, county officials said.