S.F. inmate with suspected monkeypox isolated

A person in custody at San Francisco County jails has a suspected case of monkeypox, Sheriff ’s Office officials said Friday.

“This individual, and any other incarcerated person with a suspected or confirmed case of monkeypox, will be housed in isolation according to the Department of Public Health quarantine recommendations,”

San Francisco Sheriff ’s Office spokesperson Tara Moriarty said in a statement. “The Sheriff ’s Office has developed appropriate protocols in order to ensure that the individual is kept safe and that all persons, the justice-involved as well as employees, who come into contact with that person are kept safe.”

Friday’s announcement marks the jail’s first suspected case of a viral disease that has shot through the city over the past few weeks, prompting San Francisco officials to declare a public health state of emergency late last month. Similar declarations from the state and U.S. followed days later.

As of Friday, the county of San Francisco had the secondhighest number confirmed cases in California, with 398 cases compared to 431 in Los Angeles. There were 83 in

Alameda County, 63 in Sacramento County and 61 in Santa Clara County, according to the California Department of Public Health.

San Francisco reported its first case on June 3.

The illness can cause a painful rash or sores on the skin that resemble blisters, along with flu-like symptoms. It is believed to be transmitted by intimate contact including kissing, sharing bedding or clothes, or potentially, breathing in close proximity. It appears to be far less contagious than COVID-19 and poses less risk to the general population. Although many cases resolve on their own, in rare instances, monkeypox can become serious.