Florida infant recovers after catching monkeypox, CDC says

A Florida infant has recovered after catching monkeypox in August, a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report said.

The infant was admitted to an unnamed Florida hospital with a rash and cellulitis, according to the report. Rashes and lesions spread throughout their body, including their arms, legs, soles of their feet, face and eyelid.

The infected infant was less than 2 months old.

“This is the youngest patient with confirmed monkeypox infection in Florida to date,” said the report, released Monday.

Monkeypox spreads through close, skin-to-skin contact of any kind with the monkeypox rash, scabs, or body fluids of an infected person. This could range from a hug to a massage or sexual activity. The World Health Organization notes that people who have sex with multiple partners or new partners are at highest risk.

At the moment men who have sex with men make up the vast majority of cases, though the virus can infect anyone.

It can also spread through surfaces such as bedding or towels used by someone with monkeypox, according to CDC experts.

The CDC’s report suggests in this case, the baby slept with two of its caregivers and could have gotten monkeypox through shared bed linens or through the skin-to-skin contact that comes from holding and daily care.

One of the baby’s caregivers “reported activities that placed him at high risk for monkeypox exposure during the 2 months preceding the infant’s illness.” He reported monkeypox symptoms in the weeks before the infant tested positive and tested positive for monkeypox shortly after the baby did.

The baby’s condition was stable during its time in the hospital. Doctors administered TPOXX, an antiviral given to people at risk for severe disease. The CDC notes that pediatric patients, specifically those under 8, are at risk of severe disease.

By the CDC’s tally, at least 27 U.S. cases in kids 0-15 have been reported during the current outbreak.

ccatherman@orlandosentinel.com; @CECatherman Twitter

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