WHO Director-General Tedros Adanom Gebrejes said he was particularly concerned about the risk the virus poses to vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, children and people with weakened immune systems due to other health conditions.
Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms very similar to those seen in the past in patients with smallpox, although it is clinically less severe. AP
The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that more than a thousand cases of monkeypox infection have been confirmed by 29 countries around the world.
“The risk of developing monkeypox in non-endemic countries is real,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus told a news conference.
Zoonotic disease (infectious diseases spread between animals and humans) is endemic to humans in nine African countries, but cases have been reported in several other countries in the last month, mainly in Europe, particularly the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal.
More than 1,000 cases of # monkeypox have been reported in 29 countries where the disease is not endemic, and no deaths have been reported in those countries so far. @WHO calls on the parties concerned to identify all cases and contacts in order to control the outbreak and prevent further spread. pic.twitter.com/5V9kJaM2FA
– Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus (@DrTedros) June 8, 2022
What is monkeypox? Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the same genus Orthopoxvirus, which includes smallpox, which causes smallpox.
Monkeypox is a zoonosis, a disease that is transmitted from infected animals to humans.
Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of measles-like disease appeared in colonies of monkeys being tested, hence the name “monkeypox,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. diseases (CDC).
The WHO says the cases occur near tropical rainforests inhabited by animals that carry the virus.
You should read: “A brand new spread of monkeypox”: Infectious Diseases Specialist on who is affected, what happens next
The infection was found in squirrels, gambian rats, dormant and some species of monkeys.
It is spread by biting or direct contact with the blood, meat or body fluids of an infected animal or human, and the initial symptoms include fever before it quickly becomes a rash.
People infected with it also get a chickenpox-like rash on their hands and face.
Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, skin rashes or lesions.
Who is at risk?
The head of the WHO said that the cases were reported mainly, “but not only, among men who have sex with men.” “Some countries are now starting to report cases of apparent community transmission, including some cases of women,” he said.
Tedros said he was particularly concerned about the risk the virus poses to vulnerable groups, including pregnant women, children and people with weakened immune systems due to other health conditions.
Human-to-human transmission may be the result of close contact with respiratory secretions, skin lesions of an infected person, or recently infected objects.
Read also: Explained: How the Center is preparing for monkeypox as it spreads in 23 countries
Because transmission by respiratory particles usually requires prolonged face-to-face contact, healthcare professionals, household members and other close contacts in active cases are at greater risk.
Transmission can also occur through the placenta from the mother to the fetus (which can lead to congenital monkeypox) or during close contact during and after birth. Although close physical contact is a well-known risk factor for transmission, it is unclear whether monkeypox can be transmitted specifically through sexual transmission, the WHO said.
According to the New York Times, the majority of those currently infected are men under the age of 50, and many identify as gay or bisexual, which could reflect the possible origins of the gay pride event in the Canary Islands.
Experts say the outbreak could just as easily start among heterosexual people at a major event.
“The risk of exposure is not limited to any particular group,” said Dr. Rochelle Valensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Our priority is to help everyone make informed decisions to protect their health and the health of their community, and that starts with building awareness, driven by science, not stigma.
What is the treatment?
According to the WHO, smallpox vaccination is about 85 percent effective in preventing monkeypox. Thus, previous smallpox vaccination may lead to a milder disease.
At present, the original (first generation) smallpox vaccines are no longer available to the general public. A newer vaccine based on a modified attenuated vaccine virus (Ankara strain) was approved for the prevention of monkeypox in 2019. It is a two-dose vaccine for which availability remains limited.
Vaccines against smallpox and monkeypox have been developed in formulations based on the vaccinia virus, due to the cross-protection provided for the immune response to orthopoxviruses. With data from agencies
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