Washington: More than 30 children in the United States have tested positive for monkeypox, according to local media.
Fox News reported that at least 31 children are positive for the virus, with 11 states and jurisdictions reporting pediatric cases.
Data from the Texas Department of State Health Services show there are nine pediatric cases in the state, he added.
The agency’s data shows 18,989 cases of monkeypox and orthopoxvirus across the country.
Meanwhile, the first death of a person diagnosed with monkeypox in Texas has been reported. In a statement Tuesday (local time), the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) said the patient was an adult living in Harris County.
“Monkeypox is a serious disease, especially for people with weakened immune systems,” said John Hellerstedt, head of DSHS, in a statement released Tuesday.
“We continue to urge people to seek treatment if they have been exposed to monkeypox or have symptoms consistent with the disease,” he added.
According to The Hill, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had confirmed more than 18,000 cases of the virus in all 50 states as of Monday, but authorities had so far confirmed no deaths.
The virus has spread primarily among men who have sex with men, but anyone can contract it through close, direct contact with an infected person.
People diagnosed with monkeypox should stay at home and avoid close contact with others until the rash has completely cleared and a new layer of skin has completely formed, the statement said. .
It should be noted that the World Health Organization report previously stated that the number of reported cases of monkeypox has decreased by 21% worldwide in the past week.
The UN health agency reported 5,907 new cases weekly and said two countries, Iran and Indonesia, have reported their first cases.
As of the end of April, according to CBC, more than 45,000 cases have been reported in 98 countries.
Cases in America accounted for 60% of cases in the past month, the WHO said, while cases in Europe accounted for about 38%. He said infections in America showed “a sustained precipitous increase”.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said that most cases of monkeypox are reported from Europe and America, among men who have sex with men.
In July, Tedros announced that the global monkeypox epidemic is a public health emergency of international concern.
Most people usually recover from monkeypox within a few weeks without treatment. Symptoms are flu-like at first, such as fever, chills, and swollen lymph nodes, followed by a widespread rash.
According to the WHO, the disease can be more severe in young children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals.
Monkeypox virus is not easily transmitted and is usually spread through close physical contact, including sexual contact, with an infected person.
The virus can enter the human body through broken skin, respiratory tract, eyes, nose and mouth, and bodily fluids. Monkeypox is a zoonotic disease. It comes from animals such as rodents and primates and is found in remote areas of central and western Africa.