The monkeypox virus continues to spread. Two infections in children have now been confirmed in the United States. The country has now reported a total of 2,800 cases of monkeypox. The WHO has yet to announce whether an international emergency will be declared.
According to the CDC, two cases of monkeypox in children have now been confirmed in the United States. Both were detected this week, CDC Deputy Chief of High-Risk Pathogens and Pathology Jennifer McQuiston said Friday night. There are now more than 2,800 confirmed cases in the United States.
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 have indicated from the start that there can be cases outside of those networks as well and that we need to be vigilant and ready to respond."
The World Health Organization wants to inform on Saturday whether it is declaring an "emergency of international concern" 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.
