First juvenile monkeypox case reported in NYC as virus spreads

New York City has recorded its first juvenile case of monkeypox, New York health department officials confirmed to The Post on Friday.

It’s the second juvenile case reported so far in the state, with city officials saying a member of the child’s household also had the virus.

“There is a juvenile case of MPV (or monkeypox) in New York City,” New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said in a statement to The Post.

“While we understand the concerns of families, we also know that the overall risk of exposure for children in the city remains very low.”

New York City has recorded 2,888 cases of monkeypox as of Aug. 26, with cases appearing to have peaked in late July.

Earlier in the week, state health commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said parents shouldn’t fear school starting in the fall following the first confirmed case in a child.

“We expect that we will see cases diagnosed in children and related to household exposure related to their personal behavior, but I do not see the schools as a place where we are going to have to worry about transmission,” she told reporters at a Manhattan press conference on Monday.

While not fatal, monkeypox can cause painful rashes and blisters, along with flu-like symptoms like fevers, headaches and chills.

The virus is typically spread through close contact with an infected person or by touching items they have used such as clothing or towels and has primarily spread through gay and bisexual men, who account for about 98% of patients.

However, women, children and heterosexual men are just as likely to become sick if directly exposed to monkeypox.