ATLANTA — Three children in Georgia have been diagnosed with monkeypox, including one child who lives in metro Atlanta, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
Newton County Schools System announced one elementary school-aged child in Newton County, a student at Mansfield Elementary School, has been diagnosed with monkeypox and another child in the district who attends Flint Hill Elementary School is undergoing testing to confirm a diagnosis of the infectious disease, according to school officials.
The Newton County School System said it was notified Tuesday of the confirmed and suspected cases.
School district officials have notified parents at both schools about the cases via School Messenger. Parents of students who may be considered close contacts of the ill students will receive additional communication from school officials advising them of the next steps.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines a close contact as someone who has had skin-to-skin contact with an infected person, including touching or coming into contact with the monkeypox rash, or who have shared items such as towels and bedding.
The school system said on Tuesday that maintenance employees would clean and disinfect classrooms and other areas at both schools.
The number of monkeypox cases in Georgia rose to 1,220 as of Wednesday morning, according to the CDC. Georgia DPH spokeswoman Nancy Nydam said the total number of cases includes one pediatric case and will be updated later today to include two additional cases. She did not say whether the updated tally will include the confirmed case in Newton County.
Health experts say that based on the data we have so far, the risk of monkeypox spreading in a school setting appears to be a “very low risk.” But that doesn’t mean the risk is zero.
Dr. Jayne Morgan, executive director of the COVID Task Force at Piedmont, said in a recent interview that families should practice good hand hygiene — washing hands with soap and running water for 20 seconds. She said rigorous cleaning measures, which were put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic, help with preventing the spread of monkeypox.
And for children living with adults in high-risk groups for monkeypox, “Encourage that person to get vaccinated against monkeypox. That is the No.1 thing the person can do to protect themselves and other people in the household.”
While nearly all cases to date have been among men who have sex with men, according to the CDC, health authorities emphasize anyone can catch monkeypox. The health officials also say the virus could begin to spread more broadly.
Last month, the CDC confirmed the first U.S. cases of monkeypox in children: a toddler in California, and an infant whose family was traveling in the District of Columbia. The children, who are in good health, had symptoms and received antiviral treatment according to the CDC. The pediatric cases were likely the result of household transmission, according to the agency.
The monkeypox virus is far less transmissible than the coronavirus, and the virus is spread primarily through prolonged skin-to-skin contact. Touching items that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids is one-way monkeypox spreads, but DPH said in a statement that that has not been identified as a meaningful or common mode of transmission in this outbreak or for monkeypox in general.
Earlier this month, as students started returning to school, Clayton County Schools told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Wednesday that an employee had contracted the virus over the summer, but never had any contact with students or teachers.
DPH is not tracking how many cases are at schools or involve school employees. The agency is continuing to do contact tracing on monkeypox cases, which would include any close contacts and could potentially include schools.
Anyone who believes they may have monkeypox is advised to avoid close contact with others, particularly children. If contact is unavoidable, as in the case of childcare, the CDC advises that caring family members wear masks and gloves.
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