A probable case of monkeypox has been identified in a San Francisco resident amid a recent rise in cases in the United States and around the world, public health officials said Friday evening.
Information about the San Francisco individual with the probable case could not be disclosed for privacy reasons, but public health officials said the person traveled to a “site with an outbreak in cases.” A California Department of Public Health lab in Richmond confirmed the probable case Friday. The case will now be sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for final confirmation, public health officials said.
San Francisco health officials revealed the likely case Friday night after U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 20 cases of monkeypox had been identified in 11 states, including four in California. The San Francisco case was not counted among the 11.
Until the CDC confirms the San Francisco case, it will be considered a likely case of monkeypox. The individual did not report any close contact in San Francisco “during the time period in which the infection could have spread to others,” public health officials said.
“We are very pleased that this person was aware and sought medical attention,” said Dr. Susan Philip, a San Francisco health officer, who added that the person and his or her medical provider requested a prompt evaluation.
Philip said Friday that while most cases of monkeypox are resolved on their own, cases can be “severe in rare cases and we want to prevent further spread in the community.”
“San Francisco is ready for this case and others, if more occur,” Philip said. “We want to emphasize that this is not a disease that spreads easily through the air like COVID-19, but we want people who may have been exposed to be alert to symptoms and see a doctor immediately if they show symptoms of ‘an evaluation’.
None of the U.S. cases have resulted in deaths, and the “overwhelming majority” are among people who have recently traveled internationally in a period of time that suggests their exposure happened there, said Captain Jennifer McQuiston, manager of incidents for CDC smallpox response during a media conference on Friday.
Other patients may have been in contact with a known case or may have been identified by contact tracking. But at least one person did not travel and the source of the infection is unknown, suggesting the virus could spread to the United States, CDC officials said.
“Ongoing research suggests community-to-person transmission, and the CDC is urging health departments, physicians and the public to remain vigilant, institute appropriate infection prevention and control measures, and notify authorities. public health suspicious cases to reduce the spread of the disease “, CDC. Scientists wrote in a report released Friday that looked at smallpox cases in the United States.
The risk to the public is still low, McQuiston said. Officials expect the number of cases to increase as more tests and follow-up contacts are made. In California, three confirmed cases have been detected in Sacramento County and one in Los Angeles County.
Smallpox is a type of orthopoxvirus, the same family of viruses that includes smallpox, although smallpox is less contagious and less severe. Symptoms of monkeypox include rashes and skin lesions that rise and fill with fluid as they progress.
There are two federally approved orthopoxvirus vaccines, Acam2000 and Jynneos, which are now being implemented for monkeypox and antiviral treatment.
Acam2000 should be taken after exposure and Jynneos may be taken before or after exposure. The antiviral, tecovirimat, also known as Tpoxx, was originally licensed for smallpox, but may be administered for monkeypox under a federal protocol that allows some drugs to be used for purposes other than those tested in clinical trials when not there are better alternatives available.
Federal health agencies have sent 1,200 doses of vaccine and 100 courses of treatment to eight states, said Dr. Raj Panjabi, who is coordinating the White House smallpox response. He did not specify which states received them. The California Department of Public Health said Friday that the state has received 200 doses of the Jynneos vaccine for use as a preventative treatment for people who have been exposed to monkeypox.
Federal call officials did not say how many doses of vaccines or treatments are currently in national stock. But there are “more than enough vaccines available” and they have been “previously deployed across the country,” said Dawn O’Connell, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ deputy emergency preparedness secretary.
“The good news is that we already have the vaccines and the treatments we need to respond,” O’Connell said.
Smallpox can be transmitted from person to person through close physical contact, including sexual contact, through infected sores, body fluids, or respiratory drops.
Health officials in Europe, where several countries are reporting outbreaks, recently indicated that most or all cases have occurred in men, and many reported having multiple sexual partners before contracting the virus.
The CDC report released Friday looked at 17 U.S. patients with confirmed monkeypox infections on May 31 and found that 14 of the 17 people had traveled internationally in the 21 days prior to the onset of symptoms. Sixteen of the 17 identified as men having sex with men. In many cases, the rash started in the genital area.
“We are focusing our efforts on raising awareness of the LGBTQ-plus community,” McQuiston said.
Globally, there are more than 700 reported cases in at least 28 countries where monkeypox is not endemic. Smallpox, a zoonotic disease that is most common in rodents and can be transmitted to humans, is endemic in several countries in Central and West Africa.
The last outbreak in the United States was in 2003, when about 70 cases were detected. Investigators tracked the outbreak to a consignment of prairie dogs imported from Ghana.
The CDC urged health care providers to be on the lookout for symptoms of monkeypox and to test patients if they suspect it.
Catherine Ho (she) is a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_Ho