FLORIDA, USA — An infant younger than two months was determined as the youngest patient in Florida with a confirmed monkeypox infection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a news release on Monday.
The Florida Department of Health was initially notified of the infant in August and confirmed the monkeypox case the same month.
The infant was reportedly treated with oral tecovirimat and Vaccinia Immune Globulin Intravenous. Prophylactic trifluridine was also given to the infant to prevent ophthalmic complications from the eyelid lesion, the CDC says.
The young patient was in stable condition throughout the illness, tolerated the treatments and fully recovered, according to the CDC.
The infant was determined to have no history of travel, acute infections or known immunocompromising conditions and did go to a child care facility. However, a caregiver at the infant's home experienced symptoms of monkeypox and the CDC says they believe that the infant received the monkeypox infection from the caregiver possibly through shared bed linens and skin-to-skin contact through holding and daily care activities.
"Clinical presentations in children with monkeypox have been similar to those in adults, although children might have a higher risk for severe disease," the CDC said in a statement. "Clinicians should consider monkeypox infection as a differential diagnosis in pediatric patients with pustular or vesicular rashes and be aware of the possibility for household transmission to pediatric patients, particularly if the children meet epidemiologic exposure criteria for diagnosis of monkeypox."
The state's department of health says that there are currently 27 confirmed cases of monkeypox in children aged between 0-15 years across the country.