LOS ANGELES COUNTY—On Thursday, September 8, the Los Angeles County Public Health Department (LACPH) reported 1,805 confirmed cases of Monkeypox in Los Angeles County.
The public report from LACPH included specifics on who was contaminated with the virus and in what county.
According to reports, 98 percent of the confirmed cases of Monkeypox were found in males between the ages of 18 and 59. Forty-five percent were men between the ages of 30-39.
The report included the sexual orientation of those infected with the virus. Four percent of those infected were heterosexual or straight. Eighteen percent did not specify a gender, and 79 percent were LGBTQ+.
The Los Angeles Metro area carried 45 percent of the reported cases. San Fernando Valley held 15 percent, South LA carried 10 percent of the cases, and the rest of the following areas: East LA, West L.A., South Bay & Harbor, Antelope Valley, and San Gabriel Valley all had less than 10 percent of the reported cases of Monkeypox.
Over 21,000 confirmed cases of Monkeypox in the United States. According to officials, the majority of those cases were in Los Angeles County.
LA County is investigating the death of one individual who was previously diagnosed with Monkeypox. The Director and Medical Officer of the Los Angeles County Public Health Department, Dr. Rita Singhal stated:
“This is one of two deaths in the United States that are currently under investigation to determine whether monkeypox was a contributing cause of death. The county is in the preliminary phase of its investigation and doesn’t have many details to share with the public, but will share them while maintaining confidentiality and privacy as the information becomes available.”
The Texas Department of Health reported the second death of an individual diagnosed with Monkeypox that died at Harris County Hospital last month.
According to LA County officials, they are in the fourth phase of a vaccine for Monkeypox called JYNNEOS and expanded the eligibility of the vaccine to those with the highest risk of exposure to be vaccinated first.
Once a person contracts Monkeypox they may experience leaky lesions like blisters or large pimples on the skin, swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, body aches, and extreme fatigue. It is treated with antiviral medication, and it takes 2-4 weeks for the virus to run its course.
