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Stanislaus County health officials identify first case of monkeypox

Stanislaus County officials say the man is in isolation and isn't hospitalized.

STANISLAUS COUNTY, Calif. — Officials with the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency announced Tuesday they've identified the first case of monkeypox in the county.

County officials say the man is in isolation and has not been hospitalized.

“The United States is currently experiencing a monkeypox outbreak, and there will likely be additional cases in Stanislaus County in the weeks ahead," Stanislaus County Public Health Officer Dr. Julie Vaishampayan said. “We ask our community members to learn about the symptoms and ways this infection spreads so they can take actions to protect themselves and others.”

According to health officials, monkeypox, a flu-like virus in the same family as smallpox, is rarely found in the U.S.

Symptoms of monkeypox include high fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a widespread rash across the face and body. Infections typically last between two and four weeks and only one in every 100 cases are fatal, generally only seriously affecting those that are immunocompromised.

According to the CDC, the first human case of monkeypox was discovered in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The virus has since been tracked on several continents and transmission rates are continuously being investigated by the CDC.

More information about monkeypox can be found on the CDC website.

Watch more from ABC10: Sacramento County health officials identify 2 more possible cases of monkeypox

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