Children did not appear to be affected by monkeypox at first. But they too can be infected. At the WHO, a decision of international interest is pending today.
According to the health authority CDC, two cases of monkeypox in children have now been confirmed in the United States.
Both were detected this week, said CDC deputy chief of high-risk pathogens and pathology, Jennifer McQuiston, on Friday evening (local time). There are now more than 2,800 confirmed cases in the United States.
Rash, fever and chills
Monkeypox infection can cause skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, genital and anal inflammation, fever, chills, and muscle pain. The disease is usually not fatal. According to the World Health Organization, most of those affected are men who have sex with men. In general, however, anyone who has close physical contact with an infected person can become infected.
In today’s society, it’s normal to be in contact with a lot of different people, McQuiston said. “And while this outbreak is spreading on a specific social network right now, we’ve made it clear from the start that there can be cases outside of those networks too, and that we need to be vigilant and ready to respond.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) wants to inform on Saturday whether it is declaring an “emergency of international importance” because of the evidence of monkeypox in dozens of countries. Because of the accumulation of infections in countries where the infectious disease was previously practically unknown, the WHO set up an emergency committee in June. dpa
