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Business News/ News / India/  Monkeypox spreading among children; 80 kids infected so far
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Monkeypox spreading among children; 80 kids infected so far

Monkeypox: If someone within a household gets infected from Monkeypox, it becomes easier for the virus to infect others through sharing clothes or towels
  • The first human case of the virus was a child in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970
  • Monkeypox cases: Almost a third of the 37 confirmed patients were younger than 18 in 2003 (HT_PRINT)Premium
    Monkeypox cases: Almost a third of the 37 confirmed patients were younger than 18 in 2003 (HT_PRINT)

    The monkeypox outbreak is sparking concern as the transmission of the virus has begun among children. Already, more than 80 kids across several countries have contracted monkeypox, largely through household contacts, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The UN health agency said that its experts are watching the potential for spread among children “extremely closely."

    The WHO said that a tiny fraction of more than 18,000 monkeypox cases have been reported around the world with most concentrated among men who have sex with men. However, the prospect of community transmission is raising the specter that the virus could establish itself in other populations, such as women and children, the WHO added.

    “It’s likely that we will see an increasing number of cases transmitted in other social networks and settings" beyond male sexual relations, said Jay Varma, a professor of population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York.

    According to a report by Bloomberg News agency, anyone can get the monkeypox virus. Though its primary mode of transmission has been sexual networks, it can spread through other forms of contact.

    If someone within a household gets infected from Monkeypox, it becomes easier for the virus to infect others through sharing clothes or towels, by touching sores, or by prolonged skin-to-skin contact like hugging.

    Therefore, children constantly interacting at schools and day-care centers, may be especially vulnerable. In fact, kids pick up dozens of viruses each year, including contagious rashes such as hand, foot, and mouth disease, eliciting some fear that if monkeypox were to start spreading in child-centric settings, it could be hard to contain.

    "It is inevitable that some kids will become infected and attend school while infected. What we don’t know is how likely it is that kids will transmit to other kids while in school, and, if transmission occurs, whether it will be limited to a few cases or cause a large outbreak," professor Varma added.

    Last week, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said they knew two pediatric cases in the country. Another case has been identified in a pregnant woman who recently gave birth.

    But the good news is that there have been no deaths due to the Monkeypox virus in the US so far. Still, US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra on Thursday stressed the importance of being ready for a wider outbreak, including by securing more access to vaccines.

    Monkeypox cases among children:

    Historically, in parts of the west and central Africa where monkeypox is considered endemic, cases among kids were not unusual. The first human case of the virus was a child in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970.

    During a 2003 Monkeypox outbreak in the US, which stemmed from rodents imported from Ghana, pediatric patients were more likely to be hospitalized in an intensive-care unit than adults, according to a study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. Almost a third of the 37 confirmed patients were younger than 18, the study showed.

    But in another large outbreak in Nigeria in 2017, only a handful of cases were found in kids. And according to one systemic review of case data from outbreaks that occurred between 1970 and 2019, the median age of monkeypox patients has increased from 4 to 21 over the last five decades.

    The 2022 outbreak looks a bit different than in past situations, with the virus mostly spreading by people touching infectious lesions or fluids during intimate encounters. Symptoms are also distinct from the medical literature, with more cases presenting with sores that look similar to common sexually transmitted infections or rashes, according to a study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

    The changing nature of the virus is making it more difficult to recognize cases, along with the potential effects on kids.

    Another concern is that Monkeypox can be transmitted through the placenta during pregnancy and has been known to cause complications for a baby, including stillbirth. According to the CDC, the pregnant US woman with the virus doesn’t appear to have passed it to her child. The infant was given antibodies prophylactically and is doing fine.

    Monkeypox treatments:

    The commonly used treatments for monkeypox—Bavarian Nordic’s vaccine Jynneos, and Siga Technologies Inc.’s smallpox antiviral medication, Tpoxx—can be used to treat kids when necessary, such as when they are at high risk of exposure. In June, the CDC said it was figuring out the best way to use Jynneos in kids exposed to the virus.

    The US has limited supplies of Jynneos available for use, and clinicians have had difficulty prescribing Tpoxx to patients since it is only approved for smallpox.

    In India, the Centre has asked vaccine makers to develop a vaccine for Monkeypox. Diagnostic kit manufacturers have been asked to develop diagnostic kits for the disease. So far, four cases of Monkeypox have surfaced in India -- three from Kerala and one from Delhi.

    (With inputs from Bloomberg news agency)

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    Published: 29 Jul 2022, 09:32 PM IST
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