Monkeypox Infects Children and Medical Staff... US Launches 'Emergency Response'

Two Cases of Child Infection Reported in the UK
US CDC "Activates Emergency Operations Center"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] The monkeypox infection cases, which had mainly occurred among young men, have now been confirmed in children as well, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to issue a warning.

On the 29th of last month (local time), WHO announced that two cases of monkeypox infection in children were reported in the UK, along with cases in Spain and France. As of the 22nd, the UK, Spain, and France are the countries with the highest number of monkeypox infections worldwide. The UK has 1,076 cases, Spain 800, and France 440.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated, “The virus is establishing itself and may spread to high-risk groups such as children, immunocompromised individuals, and pregnant women, raising concerns about sustained transmission.”

Health experts consider monkeypox infection in children to be more dangerous. Children infected with monkeypox tend to exhibit more severe symptoms and have a higher risk of death. If pregnant women become infected, the virus can be transmitted to the fetus through the placenta, and there is also concern about newborn infection through physical contact during childbirth.

Until now, most confirmed monkeypox cases have been among young men. According to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), 99.5% of reported monkeypox cases were male, with 44% aged 31?40 and 23% aged 18?30.

In Europe, 10 cases of infection among healthcare workers have also been confirmed. Healthcare workers, who may have direct contact with infected patients, are considered a high-risk group for monkeypox. The ECDC stated, “Although a small number of cases have been reported among healthcare workers, investigations are underway to determine whether their infections were due to occupational exposure.”

In the United States, in response to the spread of monkeypox, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has been activated. This will strengthen cooperation between CDC staff and local and federal healthcare providers. Currently, about 300 CDC employees are responding to monkeypox. Previously, during the COVID-19 outbreak, the EOC was activated on the same day the first case was confirmed in the US in January 2020.

Meanwhile, as of the 30th of last month, the CDC has reported 5,323 confirmed monkeypox cases across 52 countries worldwide.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.