Mystery as toddler catches monkeypox with officials desperate to find out how | The Sun

OFFICIALS are racing to find out how a toddler caught monkeypox.

The bug has been spreading globally, with the UK now having detected 3,025 cases.


In the US, there have been over 14,115 infections, with states such as New York and California having high case numbers of over 2,000.

The state of Texas also has 1,079 infections and officials there have revealed that a two-year-old has the bug.

It's not yet clear how the child contracted the virus as the little one does not attend nursery or school.

Medics in Harris County are undertaking contact tracing to find out who may have had direct contact with the child.

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Judge Lina Hidalgo said the parent's first noticed their child had a rash and took them to get checked out by a GP.

Aside from the rash, the child has been asymptomatic, ABC13 reported.

Judge Hidalgo is now encouraging parents to be vigilant amid the current outbreak.

"I understand that it's a very scary thing, and parents have concerns, and what we need to make sure is to be vigilant and understand the risks, not assume the worst.

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"But this reminds us that this is very real," she said.

The bug is more severe in young children and the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has warned of preliminary evidence that has suggested children below the age of eight could develop a more severe reaction to the virus.

Young children with eczema and other skin conditions, and children with immunocompromising conditions may also be at more risk for severe illness, according to the CDC.

The current assumption is that the child caught the bug through household transmission.

The latest case of the illness in a child comes after a study found that the virus can linger on surfaces touched by an infected person.

Meaning the child could have contracted the bug if someone in their household had it.

Medics last week also warned that the more cases that are identified – the more likely it would be that children start to catch it.

VIRAL SPREAD

Professor Eyal Leshem of Israel’s Sheba Medical Center said infections could move in to other at risk groups, including children, vulnerable adults and pets.

"We know from past outbreaks that if an outbreak is to be stopped you have a very short window of opportunity. At this point, we see this window of opportunity slowly closing," he told CNBC.

However, medics in the UK have said that overall, the illness is declining.

Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) found that as of 15 August, there are 3,195 confirmed and highly probable cases of  in the UK.

Whilst the decline is fastest in London, new cases continue to be identified in all regions at present.

The medics said that the virus continues to be transmitted primarily in interconnected sexual networks of gay, bisexual, or men who have sex with other men (GBMSM).

They added that "there is no robust evidence of sustained transmission outside these networks".

Some new cases which may be linked to travel continue to be identified, they said.

Dr Meera Chand, director of clinical and emerging infections, UKHSA said: "Whilst there are fewer new cases being identified, we are detecting cases in all regions of England and the global outbreak continues.

"We ask that everyone checks themselves for monkeypox symptoms, including rashes and blisters, particularly if you have had new sexual partners recently – in the UK or abroad.

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“If you are eligible for a vaccine, please wait to be called forward by the NHS and you will receive one as soon as supply is available in your area. We are working with the manufacturer to expedite delivery as quickly as possible.

“If you are concerned that you may have Monkeypox symptoms, take a break from events, meeting with friends or having sexual contact. Instead, stay at home and contact 111 or your local sexual health service for advice.”

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