CDC: Florida infant contracts monkeypox, youngest patient infected in state to date

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A baby's right foot with hospital bracelet and baby blanket. (Getty Images.)

An infant less than two months old in Florida contracted monkeypox likely from a household exposure, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a news release Monday.

Health officials said the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) was notified of a suspected case of monkeypox after the child was admitted to a Florida hospital in August with a rash and cellulitis.

The CDC believes the baby likely was exposed to the virus at home, being that the child did not attend a daycare, had no travel history or acute infections three weeks prior to when the rash appeared and had no known immunocompromising conditions.

The baby was taken care of by four people within a home – one of which (caregiver B) reported activities that placed him at high risk for monkeypox exposure during the two months prior to the infant’s illness. An investigation identified three other household family members with household exposures to both the infant and caregiver B.

"One day before the infant became symptomatic, caregiver B moved to another state and sought medical care for his symptoms," the CDC stated. He received a positive monkeypox test result two days after the baby tested positive. "The infant had daily close contact with caregiver B in the home for 6 weeks before rash onset."

Likely transmission included shared bed linens and skin-to-skin contact through holding and daily care activities.

Health officials said the baby is the youngest patient with confirmed monkeypox infection in Florida as of Monday. A total of 27 confirmed cases of monkeypox in children between the ages of 0 and 15 years old have been reported in the United States during the 2022 outbreak to date.

WHAT IS MONKEYPOX?

Officials said it's a viral infection transmitted during prolonged, face-to-face contact, or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing cuddling or sex. The illness typically lasts for two to four weeks.