The World Health Organization’s Europe chief warned on Friday that cases of monkeypox in the region had tripled in the past two weeks and called on countries to do more to ensure the previously rare disease does not gain a foothold on the continent.
Dr. Hans Kluge said in a statement that increased efforts were needed despite the UN health agency’s decision last week that the escalating outbreak did not yet warrant declaring a global health emergency.
“Urgent and coordinated action is imperative if we are to turn the corner in the race to overcome the continued spread of this disease,” Kluge said.
To date, more than 5,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported from 51 countries around the world, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Kluge said the number of infections in Europe represents about 90% of the global total, noting that 31 countries in the WHO European region have already identified cases.
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Kluge said data reported to the WHO showed that 99% of cases were in men _ and that the vast majority were in men who had sex with men. But he said there were now a “small number” of cases among contacts, including children. Most people report symptoms including rash, fever, fatigue, muscle aches, vomiting and chills.
Scientists warn anyone who is in close physical contact with someone who has monkeypox or their clothes or sheets are at risk of infection, regardless of their sexual orientation. It is believed that vulnerable groups such as children and pregnant women are more likely to suffer from severe diseases.
About 10% of patients were hospitalized for treatment or isolation, and one person was admitted to the intensive care unit. No deaths were reported.
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Kluge said the problem of stigma in some countries could make some people worried about seeking health care, and said the WHO was working with partners, including organizers of gay parades.
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In the UK, which has the largest outbreak of monkeypox outside of Africa, officials noted that the disease is spreading in “defined sexual networks of gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men”. British health authorities said there were no signs of continued transmission outside these populations.
A top WHO adviser said in May that the surge in cases in Europe was likely linked to sexual activity by men at two rave parties in Spain and Belgium, speculating that its emergence in the gay and bisexual community was a “random event”. British experts said most cases in the UK involved men who reported having sex with other men in places such as saunas and sex clubs.
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Ahead of the UK’s gay pride parade this weekend, London’s top public health doctor has asked people who have symptoms of monkeypox, such as swollen glands or blisters, to stay home.
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WHO Europe Director Kluge urged countries to increase their capacity for surveillance and genetic sequencing of monkeypox so that cases can be quickly identified and measures taken to prevent further transmission. He said the procurement of vaccines “must apply the principles of fairness”.
The main vaccine used against monkeypox was originally developed for smallpox, and the European Medicines Agency said earlier this week that it was beginning to consider whether the vaccine should be authorized for monkeypox. The WHO said supplies of the vaccine produced by Bavarian Nordic are extremely limited.
Read more: US expands eligibility for monkeypox vaccine, will increase supply as cases rise
Some countries, including the UK and Germany, have already started vaccinating people at high risk of monkeypox; The UK recently expanded its immunization program to offer the vaccination to predominantly gay and bisexual men who have multiple sexual partners and are considered most vulnerable.
Until May, monkeypox had never been known to cause large outbreaks outside of Africa, where the disease is endemic in several countries and mostly causes limited outbreaks when it jumps to humans from infected wild animals.
To date, there have been approximately 1,800 suspected cases of monkeypox, including more than 70 deaths in Africa. Vaccines have never been used to stop epidemics of monkeypox in Africa.
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The WHO’s African office said this week that countries with vaccine supplies “mainly reserve them for their own populations.”
© 2022 The Canadian Press
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