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San Diego County hosts monkeypox forum as cases increase to 121

The number of reported monkeypox cases in San Diego County increased to 121 Thursday, 17 more than a day earlier, the Health and Human Services Agency reported at a virtual town hall, with all those diagnosed with the virus being male.

The forum was conducted in an effort to better inform the public about the county's response to the virus.

Nick Macchione, the Health and Human Services Agency director, said his agency "is taking our monkeypox response very seriously."

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Machionne said that during the AIDS crisis, he saw first-hand how the public worked with government agencies to reduce the spread of that deadly virus.

"We continue to rely on our community partners in our monkeypox response," he added.

Ankita Kadakia, deputy county public health officer, said monkeypox is a rare disease -- but this latest outbreak is unusual, as a large number of infections are occurring outside of the African continent.

Kadakia said monkeypox is harder to transmit than COVID-19.

Monkeypox can last between two to four weeks, and those who are sick should isolate at home and monitor their symptoms and also notify anyone with whom they have been in contact, Kadakia said. In terms of prevention, hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol is effective against the monkeypox virus, Kadakia said.

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control advises people to wash their hands, along with bedding and clothing, after intimate contact.

Mikie Lochner, chairman of the county HIV Planning Group, said that knowledge was vital to combating the virus.

Two years after the COVID pandemic began, "people are tired, scared and angry, and that's OK," Lochner said.

Tracking monkeypox cases in San Diego County, plus latest news and symptoms, transmission and testing information.

Monkeypox is generally spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact, resulting from infectious rashes and scabs, though respiratory secretions and bodily fluids exchanged during extended physical episodes, such as sexual intercourse, can also lead to transmission, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Symptoms include fresh pimples, blisters, rashes, fever and fatigue. There is no specific treatment. People who have been infected with smallpox, or have been vaccinated for it, may have immunity to monkeypox.

According to health officials, the vaccine can prevent infection if given before or shortly after exposure to the virus.

San Diego County has requested 26,638 doses of the vaccine and received 5,047 doses, with 4,647 doses given to hospitals in the county, Kadakia said.

The county's strategy is to vaccinate as many of those eligible with the first dose, and as vaccine supplies increase, a second dose will be administrated, Kadakia said. Vaccines are prioritized for those exposed to a probable case of monkeypox or those at higher risk for various other conditions, including HIV, she added.

The county has administered 177 courses of the anti-viral medication Tecovirimat to treat monkeypox, Kadakia said.

Because monkeypox can be spread through sexual contact, the town hall also included information on how people can reduce their risk, including by limiting the number of sexual partners, using condoms and talking to their partners.

"Before the lights go out, you can check each other out" for any obvious symptoms, said Patrick Loose, county chief of the HIV, STD and Hepatitis Branch of Public Health Services.

Dr. Wilma Wooten, county public health officer, said an education campaign is under way, including a website launched in June, flyers, videos and social media outreach on Instagram and Twitter.

Wooten said the county has also sent out letters to school district nurses, colleges, chambers of commerce and health care systems informing them of the monkeypox threat. Wooten urged diagnosed residents to "please talk to the public health official that's contacting you," as it helps the county better combat the monkeypox virus.

"Information you provide is confidential," Wooten added. "Please trust the process."