North Carolina’s first known pediatric case of monkeypox reported in Mecklenburg
The Mecklenburg County Health Department reported the state of North Carolina’s first known pediatric case of monkeypox on Tuesday.
That means someone younger than 18 years of age has tested positive for the virus.
In the past week, North Carolina is adding an average of 11 new monkeypox cases every day.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said the state has 261 cases of monkeypox as of Tuesday. On Aug. 9, the state reported 114 cases. On July 25, North Carolina reported 34 cases.
As of Tuesday, nearly all of the cases in North Carolina are among men other than the lone case in someone under 18.
Black men make up nearly 70% of the cases in the state, but only 26% of those who have been vaccinated in North Carolina. White men make up about 25% of all cases, but 63% of vaccinations.
Health leaders said they are addressing the disparity through targeted vaccination events.
Over the weekend at Charlotte Pride, some 2,000 people got vaccinated against monkeypox.
In North Carolina, four out of every 10 infections are among people who live in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. The virus is spreading mostly among gay and bisexual men and transgender people.
“The reason we are doing this because we do not have enough vaccine,” UNC Health Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. David Wohl. “That’s what concerns me.
“With yet another outbreak, we are behind the eight ball. We didn’t get our act together on a federal level. We didn’t get the vaccine in the country like we should have. Others beat us to the punch and ordered the vaccine.”
Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it would expand its authorization to allow a different way to get a dose of the monkeypox vaccine due to high demand in some parts of the country. Instead of a regular shot, providers can now use an intradermal shot between the layers of skin. The new way of vaccine injection is one-fifth of the original dose.
Wohl said there are three things people can do to protect themselves:
- Be thoughtful and check your partners for lesions
- Encourage people who are at high-risk to get a vaccine
- Monitor for symptoms
“We are seeing a lot of lesions in the genital area or the rectal area, sometimes in the face or other places,” Wohl said.
Wohl said people who attend Pride or other social settings, like bars and concerts, should not be concerned about catching monkeypox. However, he encourages people to monitor for symptoms — like bumps and blisters — and to be thoughtful about sexual partners.
“You have to know your partner,” Wohl said. “If you don’t know them, know them. That means talking.
“Any new lesions? Any new bumps or ulcers that I should know about? If you are going to be intimate with someone, maybe just take a look before you leap and just check each other out. I don’t think that’s off the table.”
Initial symptoms can include fever or pain when swallowing. Symptoms can take one to three weeks to appear.
“Condoms will not protect you from monkeypox given a lesion can be outside the area a condom covers,” Wohl said. “You do have to be thoughtful about it and we don’t know how much shedding occurs before a lesion shows up.”
As of Tuesday, Wake County is reporting 24 cases, Durham County has 11 cases and Cumberland County has nine cases.
The numbers are lower than the 112 cases reported in Mecklenburg County, which remains the center of the outbreak.
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