Imperial County Isn't Playing with the Outbreak

There have been 48 confirmed cases of monkeypox in California, with none in Imperial County.

There have been no reports of monkeypox in Imperial County as of yet, and the risk of contracting it is minimal, but three confirmed cases in San Diego County and one suspected but unconfirmed case in Riverside County as of Thursday, June 23.

Local health authorities aren't waiting for the first local case to launch an educational campaign.

The Imperial County Public Health Department convened a "virtual town hall" on Wednesday afternoon, June 22, to address the virus and share information with the community.

So far, 22 states have reported instances, with California reporting 48 verified cases.

During the town hall, Imperial County Public Health Officer Dr. Stephen Munday said that there are now between 3,000 and 3,500 cases of monkeypox globally in the current epidemic.

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According to Karla Lopez, epidemiology and programme supervisor of Imperial County Public Health, monkeypox is an uncommon viral illness similar to but separate from those that cause smallpox and cowpox. The first human instance occurred in 1970, after it was found in 1958 and was not usually observed in the United States. Since then, the illness has been identified mostly in Central and West Africa. Prior to 2022, all instances outside of Africa were tied to international travel, but she claims that subsequent cases have been linked to spread from inside other nations.

When infected, a person has flu-like symptoms followed by a rash that looks like painful pimples or blisters on the face, inside the mouth, or other regions of the body, according to Lopez.

Close contact, mainly skin-to-skin contact of the affected region, body fluids, respiratory secretions during prolonged face-to-face contact, or physical contact with things touched by the rash, such as clothes or bedding, is how the virus spreads. It may survive for many days on surfaces such as beds, thus wearing gloves while handling such items is advised. Despite this, the virus is not readily transmitted between humans, and the danger of contracting it is relatively minimal.

Lopez recommends avoiding close personal contact with those who have symptoms, including touch with sores, rash, clothes, or bedding.

According to Health Officer Dr. Munday, there are already two approved vaccinations in the United States, ACAM2000 and JYNNEOS, that might help prevent the spread of monkeypox. He said that the vaccinations are very restricted, with less than 40,000 doses available in the United States as of last week's update. Munday said that Public Health is in charge of the Valley's supply and has contacted the California Department of Public Health.

"We have already gone out to them and obtained a limited quantity of the vaccine so that if we get our first case, we will be ready to provide post-exposure prophylaxis to anybody who has a close contact," Munday added.

Nonetheless, Munday stressed that avoiding direct physical contact is the most effective strategy to prevent the transmission of monkeypox.

Munday said there is no danger in swimming pools and splash pads since the virus needs touch and the chlorine in the water kills it quickly. Though it may be transmitted via the respiratory tract, Munday claims it is very difficult to spread in this manner, unlike COVID or influenza.

If a person believes they have been exposed, they should contact their healthcare practitioner as well as the health department.

Source: https://holtvilletribune.com/2022/06/23/imperial-county-not-monkeying-around-with-outbreak/

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