Infant, Women Test Positive for Monkeypox in Washington County
Three women and an infant from King County, Washington, have reportedly tested positive for monkeypox infection. One of the three females who contracted the virus is said to have been exposed to it through sexual activity.
The infected infant is believed to have been exposed to the monkeypox virus (MPV) through an infected family member. The child was not infected from childcare, school, or another public setting, according to an Aug. 24 update published at the Public Health Insider, a portal maintained by members of the Communications Team at Public Health–Seattle & King County.
“The risk of MPV infection to the general public in King County including children is low. Cases among children nationally have been rare. However … children in a household with a person with confirmed MPV can become infected if there is close, prolonged and/or direct contact, such as what may occur during caregiving,” the update said….