A child visiting D.C. has been diagnosed with monkeypox, according to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser — making up one of only two confirmed pediatric cases in the U.S.

Bowser confirmed during a press conference on Monday morning that the child is not from D.C., but had traveled to the city with their family. Bowser said the city began contact tracing immediately after the child — who had traveled to D.C. from the U.K. — was diagnosed.

“The child is currently going through an isolation period and is stable and well,” a DC Health spokesperson wrote in a statement to DCist/WAMU on Monday evening. “DC Health is monitoring them to ensure they follow the proper isolation protocols. As soon as the child is non-infectious, they will be returning home to the U.K.”

According to DC Health official Patrick Ashley, the isolation time for a MPV infection can be between two to four weeks, or until a rash has healed completely and a new layer of skin is formed.

The mayor offered no additional information about the child. The other pediatric case is in a child in California, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, via the Associated Press.

The news comes just a week after DC Health officials announced that the city had the highest rate of MPV cases per capita, with 120 confirmed cases. Officials have yet to release updated numbers. Although anyone can contract MPV, a majority of D.C.’s cases have occurred in men who identify as gay, according to city officials.

MPV, a virus in the same genus as smallpox, first presents with flu-like symptoms, including a fever, muscle aches, and fatigue, before presenting as a rash. It can be spread through close contact with an infectious rash, sore, or lesion, or through prolonged face-to-face contact, like kissing, sex, or cuddling. It can also be spread on shared beddings, towels, or clothing.

Officials in D.C. (and across the U.S.) have been playing catchup trying to contain the virus since it first presented in a stateside patient in May. Testing, while slow to start, has picked up — now nearly every doctor in D.C. should be able to order a MPV test through Quest or Labcorp, but vaccine availability locally remains hamstrung by federal allotments.

D.C. has launched a pre-registration system for residents to book their MPV vaccine that will alert them when their vaccine appointment is available. Last week, D.C. was expected to receive 4,000 doses — although some of these were reserved for close contacts identified through contact-tracing, and targeted community pop-ups.

This post has been updated with a statement from a DC Health spokesperson. 

Previously:
D.C. Has The Highest Number Of Monkeypox Cases Per Capita In The U.S.