US identifies first case of monkeypox in children
Washington [US], July 23: US has reported the first cases of monkeypox as two cases of the rare viral disease have been identified in children, media reports said citing the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.
According to the sources, the cases are not related and could be cases of local transmission. One case is a toddler who is a resident of California while the other is an infant who is not a US resident.
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After the identification of the cases, the public health officials are investigating them to see how the infection occurred. Though the infected children have symptoms yet both are in good health condition.
Necessary treatment is being provided to the children with an antiviral medication named tecovirimat or TPOXX. These medications are recommended by CDC for children under the age of 8.
It is worthy to note that children are considered to be at a higher risk of infection.
Monkeypox vaccine is being made available for children through special expanded use protocols. The agency has also developed new guidance for health care providers about identifying, treating and preventing monkeypox in children and teens.
The US government has shipped 300,000 monkeypox vaccines to US states and territories as of Friday afternoon. "That means hundreds of thousands of Americans are going to be getting vaccinated in a matter of days or weeks," Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House Covid-19 response coordinator, said Friday. "Jurisdictions, states territories, cities are getting their vaccines typically about 30 hours after ordering them," as per the media reports.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has reconvened the Monkeypox Emergency Committee to assess the public health implications of the evolving multi-country outbreak.
This comes as global cases passed 14,000, with six countries reporting their first cases last week. The committee first met last month but decided against declaring it a public health emergency of international concern.
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Monkeypox, a rare viral disease, occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of Central and West Africa, though it has been exported to other regions. This year, more than 14,000 cases have been reported across 71 Member States, from all six WHO regions.
-PTC News
