LOS ANGELES, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The United States spotted a total of 19 monkeypox cases in 10 states as of Wednesday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

       The virus has been spotted in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia and Washington.

       Georgia, New York and California all reported monkeypox cases over the last 24 hours, health chiefs revealed Wednesday.

       The Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the United States, confirmed the first presumptive case of monkeypox infection on Thursday.

       The patient is an adult resident who recently traveled and had a known close contact to a case, according to the county Department of Public Health.

       The patient is symptomatic, but not hospitalized, and is isolated from others, according to the health department.

       It is not clear how the people were exposed to monkeypox, but early data suggests that gay and bisexual men make up a high number of cases, according to the CDC.

       The risk of monkeypox in the general population remains very low, said health officials. However, anyone who has been in close contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk, they stressed.

       The CDC is urging healthcare providers across the United States to be alert for patients who have rash illnesses consistent with monkeypox.

       The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday confirmed more than 550 monkeypox cases across 30 countries as the virus continues to spread across the globe.

       WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the sudden appearance of monkeypox in multiple countries across the world indicates the virus has been spreading undetected for some time outside the West and Central African nations where it is usually found.

       The surge in monkeypox infections worldwide has prompted the WHO to upgrade the threat level from the virus to "moderate".