A global update of mpox (monkeypox) in children

Nadia A. Sam-Agudu, Charles Martyn-Dickens, Atana U. Ewa

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose of review Human mpox disease (formerly monkeypox) was first diagnosed in an infant in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1970. Mpox was rarely reported outside West and Central Africa until the global outbreak in May 2022. On 23 July 2022, the WHO declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern. These developments warrant a global update on pediatric mpox.Recent findingsMpox epidemiology in endemic African countries has changed from predominantly affecting children under 10 years to adults 20-40 years old. This shift also applies to the global outbreak, where 18-44-year-old adult men who have sex with men are disproportionately affected. Furthermore, the proportion of children affected in the global outbreak is less than 2%, while children under 18 years constitute nearly 40% of cases in African countries. The highest mortality rates remain among both children and adults in African countries.SummaryMpox epidemiology has shifted to adults and is affecting relatively few children in the current global outbreak. However, infants, immunocompromised children and African children are still at high risk of severe disease. Mpox vaccines and therapeutic interventions should be accessible to at-risk and affected children globally, especially to those living in endemic African countries.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)193-200
Number of pages8
JournalCurrent Opinion in Pediatrics
Volume35
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 2023
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Africa
  • child
  • global health
  • monkeypox
  • mpox

PubMed: MeSH publication types

  • Review
  • Journal Article

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