Health officials said this week that monkeypox has been identified in two children in the United States.
The illness that has traveled from Africa to Europe and the U.S. is being treated for in a toddler in California and a newborn in Washington, D.C., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday.
According to the CDC, more than 15,000 cases have been documented worldwide, even from nations that do not typically experience the sickness.
The two children are the latest cases of more than 2,800 reported in the U.S.
Health officials say the disease, which is often spread among men who have sex with other men, can also be transmitted through prolonged personal contact or contact with infected bedsheets or towels — objects that have prolonged contact with infected persons.
The infection is notably rare among children or anyone 17 years old and younger.
