The virus was first detected in mid-July, with levels rising steadily since — but whether the data can be used to predict future case surges is an evolving question.

An ongoing program in San Diego that monitors wastewater for the presence of SARS-CoV-2, and which has effectively predicted subsequent surges in COVID-19 cases, has been expanded to detect the presence of monkeypox.

Since the first confirmed case of monkeypox in California in late-May, reported cases have steadily risen in the state and across the country, now up to almost 100 in San Diego County and more than 1,300 in California.

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