updatedJuly 23, 2022, 5:40 p.m
17,000 casesMonkeypox is spreading – WHO declares a global health emergency
The WHO decided on Saturday to declare the highest alert level because of the spread of monkeypox. This activates international measures.
To date, almost 17,000 cases of the disease have been registered in 74 countries worldwide.
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The disease is transmitted by droplets. After an infection, it usually takes several days for symptoms to appear.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the monkeypox outbreak an “emergency of international concern” in more than 50 countries. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the highest alert level that can be imposed in the event of a health threat in Geneva on Saturday. This has no practical consequences. The classification is intended to encourage the governments of the member countries to take measures to contain the outbreak. They are intended to sensitize doctors and clinics, take protective measures in suspected cases and educate the population on how to protect themselves from infection.
Tedros cited the number of more than 17,000 confirmed cases in more than 74 countries, many of which previously had virtually no monkeypox cases. There were over 240 cases in six African countries where the virus has previously infected people. In Germany, the Robert Koch Institute reported almost 2,300 cases on Friday.
Most infections following sexual contact
The health emergency has only been declared six times, most recently in January 2020 due to the rapid spread of the then still new type of corona virus. An “emergency of international concern,” to use the official term, is declared when there is a “serious, sudden, unusual and unexpected” health problem that may spread to other countries. This activates international measures. The decision rests with WHO chief Tedros.
A less dangerous cousin of smallpox, which was eradicated regarding 40 years ago, monkeypox is commonly found in West and Central Africa. Since May, however, monkeypox has also been spreading to other countries, especially in Western Europe and also in Switzerland. Monkeypox cases here since Wednesday notifiable.
Typical symptoms of the disease include high fever, swollen lymph nodes and pustules similar to chickenpox. The disease is transmitted through close body and skin contact. According to a study published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, 95 percent of cases are due to sexual contact.
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