An infectious disease expert said Monday that Mainers’ risk of contracting monkeypox is low, even following the first pediatric case reported on Friday.
Dr. Mark Abel, who specializes in infectious diseases for Northern Light Health, said although there are some in high-risk groups who need to be vigilant, the risk to the general public is low.
“We know that in general this is not as contagious as COVID-19 or the flu, and so overall the risk to most people is low,” Abel said.
Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by a virus that is in the same family of viruses as smallpox, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Abel said it usually begins with fever, chills and muscle aches before a rash develops. It is spread by close skin-to-skin contact.
Maine has reported three cases of monkeypox, with the first being a York County man July 22, the second a Penobscot County man Aug. 1 and the third a case in someone under the age of 18, which was reported publicly Aug. 12.
The Maine CDC is not releasing any additional information about the pediatric case, citing patient privacy concerns.
Abel said it is less common for children to contract the virus, although it could be spread by contact with someone who has a rash on their hand or face. He advised parents to be on the lookout for any signs of illness in their children and to keep them home if they are sick.
As with adults, the risk of children spreading the virus among themselves at school is low, he said.
“It really requires prolonged contact with someone who has it, to get it,” he said, noting that people are most contagious when they have a rash.
That makes it different from COVID, which can be spread by those without symptoms.
“Overall, the fact is that we have had one case in children,” he said. “I don’t expect to see a lot of cases in children.”
The current global outbreak of monkeypox began in May of this year. There have been 11,177 cases reported across the country as of Friday afternoon, according to the U.S. CDC monkeypox outbreak tracker.
New York is reporting the highest number with 2,295 cases, followed by California with 1,945 and Florida, with 1,085. Maine is one of only nine states to report fewer than five cases.
Abel, who participates in meetings with the Maine CDC, said the state anticipates getting additional vaccines in the coming weeks.
There are vaccines available at clinics in York, Cumberland and Androscoggin counties for those at high risk or those who have had close contact with a person who has had a confirmed case within the last 14 days.
The Maine CDC defines high risk as someone who is 18 or older and is gay, bisexual, gender non-conforming or a man who has had sex with men and has had multiple sexual partners in the last 14 days and meets at least one of three criteria: had a partner within the last 14 days who had monkeypox symptoms; met a recent sexual partner through online apps, social media or at a large gathering; or have a weakened immune system.
Abel said in general, it’s unclear how big the outbreak will be in Maine and worldwide.
“It’s very hard to say how long this is going to go on for and how much bigger it’s going to get,” Abel said. “I certainly expect there to be at least a few more cases in Maine. In terms of whether this will be a seasonal thing or whether we’ll get surges and have cases go down, it’s really too early to tell.”