The World Health Organization has said there is a “chance” to prevent a recent outbreak of monkeypox that has seen cases spread across Europe, the US and Australia.
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The World Health Organization said on Monday that it was too early to say whether a recent monkeypox outbreak could lead to a global pandemic, but note that there is now an opportunity to limit the increased cases.
The public health agency said “many unknowns” remained regarding the spike in cases in non-endemic countries outside of Africa. The WHO said the virus should not be confused with Covid-19 and that the risk to the public remained low.
“We don’t want people to panic or panic and think it’s like Covid or maybe worse,” Sylvie Briand, WHO’s director of epidemic and pandemic prevention, said at a news conference about the wave. outbreak.
She added: “This monkeypox is not Covid-19, it is another virus.
Monkey smallpox is a viral infections are rare but generally mild can cause flu-like symptoms including rash, fever, headache, muscle pain, swelling and back pain. Usually, it is transmitted through lesions, bodily fluids, or materials that have been in contact with an infected person or animal.
Although sporadic monkeypox outbreaks are not unusual in the countries of Central and West Africa where the virus is endemic, health experts have been puzzled by the recent increase in the number of cases. across Europe, North America and Australia, raising fears of community spread.
As of Sunday, there were 435 confirmed and suspected cases in 24 countries outside of Africa Our data world. There have not been any deaths recorded as a result of the current outbreak.
A ‘window’ of opportunity to prevent
Asked on Monday whether the recent outbreak could escalate into a pandemic, WHO’s technical lead on monkeypox, Rosamund Lewis, said: “The answer is we don’t. know, but we don’t think so.”
Monkeypox is a DNA virus, which means it contains DNA in its genetic material. Health experts still don’t know much more about its genetic makeup, but current data suggest it doesn’t transmit or mutate as easily as other viruses like Covid-19, an RNA virus.
“We are not concerned about a global pandemic at the moment,” Lewis said.
However, she noted that the growing individual cases were a cause for concern as it could allow the virus to “exploit a niche” and spread more easily between people.
All in all, the world has a chance to contain this outbreak. There is a window.
Rosamund Lewis
Technical team leader on monkeypox at WHO
Lewis urges individuals and health professionals to survive the increased risk of the virus and monitor symptoms. She added that gay and bisexual men should be especially aware of this virus, which has so far demonstrated an exceptional concentration among men who have sex with other menalthough it is not defined as a sexually transmitted disease.
“Overall, the world has an opportunity to contain this outbreak. There’s a window,” Lewis said.
Together with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the UK’s National Health Service, WHO has outlined a number of ways people can protect themselves against the virus, including practicing good hygiene and practicing safe sex.
Once a suspected case has been identified, they should be isolated until the lesions crust over and scab over, and contact tracing begins. WHO says contacts of infected patients should be monitored for the onset of symptoms for a period of 21 days and should not donate blood, cells, tissues, organs, breast milk or semen when monitoring for symptoms.
Lewis added: “Any single case is manageable through contact tracing and isolation.
