First Case of Monkeypox Confirmed in Humboldt County as Oregon Reports the Virus in 5 Counties

Confirmation of the first case of monkeypox in a Humboldt County resident was confirmed Friday, August 5th, in a press release from the Public Health Branch of the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services.

This marks the first confirmed case of the infection in the county. Presently, the ill individual is doing well, self-isolating at home and appears to have no close contacts locally.  

To date, there are just over 7,100 cases of monkeypox in the U.S., including more than 825 cases in California. Oregon reported its first case in late June, 2022, and as of last reports from the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon has recorded 56 presumptive cases of which 16 have been confirmed, in five counties including, Clackamas, Columbia, Lane and Washingtion, with the heaviest concentration of cases in Multnomah County, with 60%, or 43 of the 72 total cases in Oregon.

On Thursday, the U.S. federal government declared the monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency.