The World Health Organization said it expects to monitor more Cases of monkeypox At the same time, the scope of surveillance has expanded in countries where the disease is not usually found, indicating that the disease is spread through close physical contact.
As of Saturday, 92 confirmed and 28 suspected monkeypox cases have been reported from 12 non-endemic member states, the United Nations said, adding that it will provide more guidance and recommendations in the coming days for countries on how to limit the spread of monkeypox.
Virus under an electron microscope
The agency added, “The available information indicates that transmission of infection from one person to another occurs between people who are in close physical contact with cases who show symptoms.”
Monkeypox is a contagious disease that is usually mild and endemic in parts of West and Central Africa. It spreads through close contact, so it can be contained relatively easily through measures such as self-isolation and personal hygiene.
And the Public Health Authority in Greece announced on Saturday that it had detected the first possible infection with monkeypox in the country, in an English tourist.
The authority said in a statement that the English citizen and his partner were taken to hospital and placed in an isolated room. And laboratory analyzes on Monday will show whether it is related to monkeypox.
In Nahrwij, the Institute of Public Health said on Saturday that the authorities had begun searching for possible cases of monkeypox in the capital, Oslo.
The institute added: “It was confirmed that a foreigner had been infected, who visited Oslo from May 6 to 10, following returning to his homeland.” The institute did not mention by name the country in which this case appeared.
For his part, World Health Organization official David Heyman said that an international committee of experts met via a video conference to consider what needs to be studied regarding the outbreak and inform the public, including whether there is any asymptomatic spread, who are most at risk, and the different ways to move.
He stated that close contact is the main route of transmission, because the typical lesions of the disease are highly contagious. For example, parents who take care of sick children are at risk, as are health workers, which is why some countries have begun vaccinating treatment teams for monkeypox patients with smallpox, a related virus. Several current cases have also been identified in sexual health clinics.
Early genetic sequencing of a few cases in Europe suggests similarities to the strain that spread in a limited manner in Britain, Israel and Singapore in 2018.
Heymann said it was “biologically plausible” that the virus was spreading outside of the countries where the virus is endemic, but that it did not lead to a major outbreak as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns, social distancing and travel restrictions.
He stressed that the outbreak of monkeypox is not like the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic because it is not easily transmitted. He said those who suspect they may have been exposed, or who are showing symptoms including rash and fever, should avoid close contact with others.
“There are vaccines available, but the most important message is that you can protect yourself,” he stressed.
