Monkeypox joins polio on the list of formerly obscure diseases for the state’s parents to worry about
A weekly summary of the New York State Department of Health shows that New York reported its first monkeypox incident in a juvenile under 18 years old. In order to protect the patient family’s privacy, few details are included in the report covering the week ending on Wednesday and published on Friday.
It is known that the child lives outside of New York City – the hotspot of the outbreak in the US – as it has not reported any pediatric monkeypox cases as of Sunday. Nine other cases have also been reported among children in the US.
Monkeypox has thus far been largely concentrated among gay men with multiple sex partners – the CDC reported last week that 99% of patients were men, with 94% of those having recently had sex with men. The latest New York statistics include 2 women and 3 transgender/nonbinary patients. Three others are simply listed. “unknown.”According to the Health Department of New York, 16 females and 48 nonbinary New Yorkers are infected. This is out of 2,744 people who were reported as having been infected.
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WHO gives warnings about monkeypox to pet owners
New York – specifically New York City – has been the epicenter of the outbreak in the US since July. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s director general, declared monkeypox an International Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Kathy Hochul of New York also made the same declaration declaring a State of Disaster Emergency and calling it an Imminent Threat To Public Health.
Monkeypox is a virus similar to chickenpox that causes painful, long-lasting blisters and pustules. However it has not been linked with any deaths. This virus can be spread through bodily fluids and skin to skin contact. It also affects bedding, clothing, or other personal belongings of infected persons.
