First child infected with monkeypox in Germany
Monkeypox infection has been detected in a child for the first time.
The case of the four-year-old from Pforzheim is twice as special.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) speaks for the first time of a monkeypox infection in a child. According to the RKI situation report, it lives in a household with two infected adults. It is a four-year-old girl from Pforzheim, as confirmed by the Baden-Württemberg health department at the request of t-online. Several media had previously reported.
Just last week, the RKI became aware of the first infections among young people aged 15 and 17. One of the two came from Stuttgart. “The infection was caused by a close contact in the household,” said a spokesman for the Ministry of Health in Baden-Württemberg on t-online.
It also states that the child has not developed any symptoms of the disease so far. Another member of the household is under health surveillance. “The determination of close contacts of the child who has now tested positive by the health department did not reveal any other close contacts outside of the household,” the spokesman continued.
Almost all monkeypox cases affect males
Around two and a half months after the first monkeypox detection in Germany, a total of 2,916 cases had been reported to the RKI by Monday. In almost all cases it is men. So far, only seven female cases have been transferred to the RKI. According to the State Health Office of Baden-Württemberg, 127 cases of monkeypox are known in the south-west.
“According to current knowledge, close contact is required for transmission of the pathogen,” it said. The transmissions occurred primarily in the context of sexual activities. “As far as is known, most of those affected do not become seriously ill,” writes the RKI.
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