LONDON, May 22 (Archyde.com) – The World Health Organization (WHO) expects more cases of monkeypox to be identified around the world, as the agency monitors the emergence of the disease in countries where it does not usually spread.
As of Saturday, 92 cases of monkeypox had been confirmed and 28 others were considered suspected in twelve countries where the virus is not endemic, the WHO said.
The UN agency said it would provide additional information and recommendations on how to limit the spread of this disease to the countries concerned.
“According to the information we have, human-to-human transmissions occur among people who have close physical contact with infected people and who show symptoms,” the WHO said.
Monkeypox, rare in Europe, was observed until now mainly in central and western Africa. It spreads when people come into close contact with infected people and can be easily contained by implementing isolation and hygiene measures.
“The virus currently appears to be transmitted as a sexually transmitted infection, which has increased its transmission around the world tenfold,” David Heymann, an American infectious disease epidemiologist and public health expert working for the WHO, told Archyde.com.
David Heymann clarified that people who believe they have been exposed to the virus or who have symptoms, such as fever or rash, should not have close contact with others.
(Report Jennifer Rigby and Akanksha Khushi; French version Camille Raynaud)
