Since the first case was recorded on May 7, the World Health Organization (WHO) claimed there have been 131 confirmed monkeypox cases and 106 further suspected cases.
The outbreak is rare, but it is ‘containable’ and confined, according to the WHO, which is organising more meetings to provide member nations with more information on how to deal with it.
Monkeypox is a viral infection that is endemic in parts of west and central Africa. It is usually mild. It spreads mostly through close contact and was only seldom observed in other regions of the world until the recent epidemic. The vast majority of recent occurrences have occurred in Europe.
‘We encourage you all to increase monkeypox surveillance to see where transmission levels are and where they are going,’ said Sylvie Briand, WHO director for Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness.
She added she didn’t know if the instances were just the ‘tip of the iceberg’ or if transmission had already peaked.
Briand, speaking at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, stated WHO’s belief that the virus has not evolved, but suggested that transmission could be influenced by changes in human behaviour, particularly if COVID-19 limitations are relaxed around the world.
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