Monkeypox is the latest virus to pop up, but without the same punch as Covid-19.

The first “probable” case of monkeypox in Monterey County was announced on June 23 by the Monterey County Health Department. As of Aug. 2, the official tally of confirmed and probable cases is four, reports county Health Officer Edward Moreno. The county is far from the increasing rates seen in Los Angeles and San Francisco – which prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency on Aug. 1 – but Moreno says health officials have the vaccines and strategies in place needed to fight the infectious disease.

Monkeypox, which primarily presents itself as a rash, requires direct skin-to-skin contact to spread and at this point the population most at risk is men who have sex with other men. The Centers for Disease Control is prioritizing that group for vaccinations since the supply of monkeypox vaccine is limited. Monterey County was allocated 207 doses by the California Department of Public Health, and so far has received 118, Moreno says.

“As far as the general population, if they are not in the priority group and are not caring for someone with monkeypox, they are at very low risk of being exposed,” Moreno says. If someone believes they might have monkeypox, he says it’s best to contact a healthcare provider. Those who feel they may have been exposed can call the Health Department at (831) 755-4521 for guidance.

The Department is following long-used public health methods of contacting patients to advise them of how to isolate and protect others in their household, as well as using contact tracing to reach out to those who had direct contact, while protecting a patient’s privacy. The department is also advising clinics and healthcare providers to directly contact patients they know are in the CDC’s priority population and offer the vaccine.

At the Salinas City Elementary School District, a parent’s question about monkeypox in a recent Covid-19 town hall prompted the district to create a dedicated webpage at salinascityesd.org/monkey-pox, but as far as instituting new protocols, spokesperson Mary Duan says they’re similar to Covid-19: “Wash your hands, don’t touch your face, if you feel ill stay home.”