The Imperial County Public Health Department says the first confirmed case of monkeypox has been reported in Imperial County.

According to the Health Department, an Imperial County resident who was exposed, evaluated and tested has been confirmed positive for monkeypox. Dr. Stephen Munday, Imperial County Health Officer said, " It is important for the public to know that monkeypox is not a disease that spreads easily through the air like COVID-19 and close physical contact is how it is most likely spread". Symptoms of monkeypox include fever and rash, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion, respiratory symptoms and a rash. Dr. Munday said that while monkeypox can infect anyone, many of the recent cases in 2022 have occurred among persons self-identifying as men who have sex with men. According to Dr. Munday, the risk of monkeypox to the public is currently low based on the information available.