The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has confirmed the first two presumptive cases of monkeypox infection in Los Angeles County and is awaiting final confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The patients are adult residents who recently traveled separately and had known close contacts to cases. Although the patients are symptomatic, they are doing well and are not hospitalized. They are isolated from others. The health department continues to investigate and conduct contact tracing and post-exposure prevention for close contacts.

The risk of monkeypox in the general population remains very low.

Monkeypox is a viral infection that can spread through contact with body fluids, monkeypox sores or shared items (such as clothing and bedding) that have been contaminated with fluids or sores of a person with monkeypox.

The virus can also spread between people through saliva or respiratory droplets, typically between people in a close setting. Although monkeypox is not generally considered a sexually transmitted infection, it can be transmitted during sex through skin-to-skin and other intimate contact, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

People with monkeypox sometimes develop a flu-like illness with fever, fatigue and enlarged lymph nodes followed by a rash. In other instances, people just develop a rash with or without swollen lymph nodes, which can occur on the genitals. People usually develop monkeypox seven to 14 days (and up to 21 days) after being exposed.

Most people with monkeypox have a mild illness that improves without treatment over two to four weeks. Treatment is supportive and focused on easing the symptoms of the illness.

For information, visit ph.lacounty.gov/media/Monkeypox.