Monkeypox Photo: VCG
The WHO said Monday that it was not worried that the spread of monkeypox outside African countries, where it is common, could cause a global pandemic.
Since the UK first reported a confirmed case of monkeypox on May 7, nearly 400 suspected and confirmed cases have been reported to the World Health Organization in nearly two dozen countries, far from the states where the virus is endemic.
The UN Health Agency expressed concern over the “unusual situation”, but reiterated on Monday that there was no cause for panic over the virus, which is spread through close contact and does not usually cause serious illness.
Asked during an epidemiological briefing whether the virus, which is endemic in a number of West and Central African countries, could provoke a new pandemic, WHO chief expert on monkeypox Rosamund Lewis admitted that “we don’t know”. But “we don’t think so,” she said. “We are not currently worried about a global pandemic.
It is important, she said, to take quick steps to control the spread of the virus.
“It is still possible to stop this outbreak before it grows,” she told an online public forum. “I don’t think we should be afraid collectively.”
Monkeypox is associated with smallpox, which kills millions worldwide each year before being eradicated in 1980.
But monkeypox is much less severe and most people recover within three to four weeks.
Initial symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and chickenpox-like rash.
Experts are trying to find out why the virus has suddenly spread to countries where it has never been seen before, and especially among young men.
One theory is that monkeypox is more easily spread among people under the age of 45 who would not be vaccinated against smallpox.
Vaccines designed for smallpox have been found to be about 85 percent effective in preventing monkeypox, but they are in short supply.
Experts are worried that monkeypox could take advantage of gaps in global immunity to fill the void of smallpox.
“We are concerned that it will replace smallpox and we really don’t want that to happen,” said Lewis, who also heads the WHO secretariat for smallpox.
She stressed the importance of raising awareness among those who may be at risk, early detection of cases, isolation of those infected and monitoring their contacts.
Experts point out that there is no evidence that smallpox is sexually transmitted, but speculate that there may have been several so-called intensifying events in which members of the LGBTQ community were brought together in the immediate vicinity.
AFP
Add Comment