Report: At least 31 U.S. children have tested positive for monkeypox

At least 31 children in the United States have tested positive for monkeypox recently, prompting new warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Children in 11 US states have tested positive for the virus, which has been detected in all 50 US states to date. Currently, the number of American adults who have tested positive for monkeypox stands at 18,417 and rising. The CDC says extra precautions should be taken if a child catches monkeypox.

“Extra care should be taken to ensure children with immunocompromising conditions avoid close contact with persons with monkeypox,” the agency writes. “If unavoidable, then children over 2 years of age should wear a well-fitting mask or respirator when interacting with members of the household who have monkeypox.”

Many of the children in the United States who have tested positive for monkeypox so far are located in Texas. This week alone, three children in Dallas were diagnosed with the virus, following an announcement by officials on Tuesday saying an adult who had monkeypox had died.

There is currently a monkeypox vaccine on the market that can be administered to children who are at high risk of catching monkeypox, but does not help if a child already has the virus. The vaccine is given in 2 doses, 28 days apart. 

The CDC recommends children who are in close contact with adults who have monkeypox or are at high risk of contracting it should avoid skin-to-skin contact with those adults if possible, and wear a mask when near high-risk or infected adults. The virus is currently centered in New York and California, which have both reported high numbers of the virus at over 3,000 cases each.