Public health authorities reported the first presumptive case of monkeypox in Los Angeles County on Thursday.
The county Department of Public Health said in a statement that it is awaiting final confirmation of the diagnosis from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The department said the patient is an adult resident who recently traveled and had a known close contact to a case of monkeypox. The patient was doing well and was not hospitalized but was isolating, the department said.
Monkeypox is a contagious viral infection that can spread through contact with body fluids, sores and shared items like bedding.
The disease is endemic in parts of Africa but hundreds of cases have recently been reported around the world in countries that are not usually known to have outbreaks, including the United States.
Three cases of monkeypox were previously confirmed in Sacramento County in Northern California.
LA County health officials said they are continuing to investigate the presumptive case and conduct contact tracing and post-exposure prevention for close contacts.
The department said the risk of monkeypox in the general population remains very low.
