SAN FRANCISCO—Researchers at Stanford University and the Sewer Coronavirus Alert Network (SCAN) confirmed that samples of waste water collected from a San Francisco treatment plant have traces of the Monkeypox disease as first announced on Friday, June 24.
The samples were collected on Monday, June 20 and Thursday, June 23 from the Oceanside Treatment Plant which serves about a third of the city of San Francisco.
According to researchers, the samples “showed small concentrations of viral DNA for the disease.”
The relationship between levels of Monkeypox DNA in wastewater and the number of cases in the community is not yet known. Researchers stated that they will monitor to see if there are increasing or decreasing rates of detection. Santa Clara County announced its first suspected case on June 23.
The risk of Monkeypox is currently low for the general population. Individuals that are in close contact with others frequently are at a higher risk of contracting the disease. Those who have multiple sex partners are at greater risk for the disease than those who do not.
Officials said in a statement: “Be aware of crowded, indoor spaces where people have close skin-to-skin contact, sex, kissing, and close breathing. The virus can also be spread through shared clothing or bedding.”
There is treatment for Monkeypox, but it is only used in serve cases. Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 and this is the first time in history that the disease has spread to so many countries at once.
