WHO recognizes that the current outbreak of monkeypox is very unusual and believes that more cases will emerge

The current outbreak of monkey poxwith at least 92 cases in 12 non-endemic countries, is the first to occur in several places at the same time and in which those infected are not linked to trips to Africa, experts from the World Health Organization (WHO).

“There have been cases in the last five years in people who came from Africa, but it is the first time that we have registered them in different countries at the same time”pointed out the smallpox expert from the WHO Rosamund Lewis in a question and answer session about the disease, broadcast on social networks.

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“We are working closely with various countries to analyze why this virus is now traveling more frequently”stressed Lewis, who also considered the high number of cases registered in urban areas anomalous for a disease that usually occurs in rural settings.

The expert Andy Seale, of the department of sexually transmitted diseases of the WHOadded that this monkey pox it is not one of them, “nor is it a disease linked to the gay community, as some have stated on social networks, because anyone can contract it through contact.”

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“It is a disease that is spread by close contact, not necessarily sexual,” the expert insisted.

The head of the WHO anticovid technical unit, Maria Van Kerkhove, added that it is likely that with the greater tracking of cases these will increase in the coming daysbut assured that the situation “can be contained” and recalled that most patients do not show serious symptoms.

The information session recalled that these symptoms can include fever, swollen lymph nodes, headaches, muscle fatigue and skin rashes on the face, hands, feet, eyes or genitals.

Given the possibility that the virus is a variation of the one usually detected in Africa, where cases have been known for at least 40 years, Lewis stated that it is a large virus that in general “is stable and does not tend to have mutations” .

The experts recalled that the vaccine against conventional smallpox, a more serious disease that for centuries caused great mortality on the planet, proved to be 85% effective against monkeypox.

However, most of the younger generations are not vaccinated against smallpox, which was considered globally eradicated four decades ago, thus halting their immunization campaigns.

Source: Elcomercio

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