Monkeypox Update

Monkeypox infections in the U.S. — 8/17/22 (CDC)

 

In July, the World Health Organization declared monkeypox — a viral skin infection related to smallpox — a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The outbreak appears to have started in May in East and Central Africa where the virus is endemic, and quickly spread to other nations in Africa and Europe. Two weeks after the WHO declaration, on August 6, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention followed suit by announcing a public health emergency in the United States as this country saw its case count rise.

When The PediaBlog first reported on the outbreak on June 7, there didn’t seem to be a whole lot of concern about the virus with a funny-sounding name. At the time, the WHO counted 790 cases of monkeypox in 28 countries and the CDC identified 21 cases in 11 states.

Since then, the outbreak has widened and become a truly global phenomenon. Worldwide, 38,019 cases of monkeypox in 93 countries have been confirmed as of yesterday, with 99% of all cases occurring in locations where the virus is not endemic. One-third of all people infected with monkeypox during this outbreak — 13,517 so far — reside in the U.S. With the exception of Wyoming, doctors in every state and the District of Columbia are reporting monkeypox in their hospitals and clinics, including 362 in Pennsylvania.

To date, nearly all cases of monkeypox have involved men who had intimate skin-to-skin contact with other men. While many of these contacts occurred during sexual activities, monkeypox is not considered a sexually transmitted infection.

So far 12 people have died from monkeypox during the current outbreak. Seven have been from historically endemic nations and no deaths have been reported in the U.S. Infectious disease specialists Carlos Del Rio, M.D. and Preeti N. Malani, M.D. say mortality from monkeypox is typically rare:

For most individuals, monkeypox is not life-threatening but it is disruptive and painful and could generate social stigma. Known complications of monkeypox may include pneumonia, encephalitis, and eye infections, which occur mostly in children younger than 8 years and individuals who are immunocompromised or pregnant. Hospitalization is uncommon and the major reason for admission has been pain control […] People with monkeypox should remain in isolation for the duration of illness, which typically lasts 2 to 4 weeks.

 

The risk of children getting infected with monkeypox is very low. There are vaccines against the virus and medications to treat it, but it’s unlikely children will need either one. In the rare event a child is infected, it’s the ones with certain pre-existing conditions who are most vulnerable to having severe disease, the American Academy of Pediatrics explains:

The risk of children getting infected with monkeypox virus is low. As of August 3rd, two pediatric cases have been confirmed in the United States (<0.1% of all cases). Children and adolescents are more likely to be exposed to monkeypox if they live in or have recently traveled to a community with higher rates of infection.

Infants, young children (under 8 years of age), children with eczema and other skin conditions and children with immunocompromising conditions may be at increased risk of severe disease when they contract monkeypox.

 

With everything we know about monkeypox, there is very little reason for parents to be concerned when school starts up next week or the week after. Instead, it’s the other virus (SARS-CoV-2) causing a global pandemic and public health emergency (COVID-19) that parents should be worried about, at least enough to make sure their kids are vaccinated, to protect them, their classmates, and their community.

Parents should also be reminded that pediatricians are pretty good at evaluating and sorting out the myriad rashes that commonly appear during childhood and adolescence. Parents and caretakers who have any concerns about unusual rashes, especially one that causes pain, are encouraged to call and make an appointment with their pediatrician.

See and hear what local doctors have to say about the monkeypox outbreak and parents’ back-to-school concerns here.

Find up-to-the-minute resources about monkeypox from the CDC here, from the AAP here, and from the WHO here.

 

source http://www.thepediablog.com/2022/08/18/monkeypox-update/