LONDON: The World Health Organization’s Europe chief warned on Friday that cases of monkeypox in the region have tripled in the past two weeks and urged countries to do more to ensure that the rare disease from the earlier continent But don’t spread. Dr. Hans Kluge said in a statement that increased efforts were needed despite the United Nations health agency’s decision last week that the growing outbreak did not warrant a declaration of a global health emergency.
“If we are to turn a corner in the race to reverse the ongoing spread of this disease, immediate and coordinated action is imperative,” Kluge said.
So far, 5,000 . more than cases of monkeypox According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been reports from 51 countries around the world.
Kluge said the number of infections in Europe represented about 90 percent of the global total, noting that 31 countries in the WHO’s European region have now identified cases.
Kluge said the data reported to the WHO shows that 99 percent of cases have occurred in men and most of them are in men who have sex with men.
But he said there are now a “small number” of cases among household contacts, including children. Most people reported symptoms including rash, fever, fatigue, muscle aches, vomiting, and chills.
Scientists warn that a person who is in close physical contact with a person with monkeypox or their clothing or bed linen is at risk of infection, regardless of their sexual orientation.
Vulnerable populations such as children and pregnant women are believed to be more prone to serious illness.
About 10 percent of patients were hospitalized for treatment or in isolation, and one person was admitted to the intensive care unit. No death has been reported.
Kluge said the problem of stigma in some countries could make some people wary of seeking health care and added that the WHO is working with partners, including organizers of gay pride events.
In the UK, which has the largest outbreak of monkeypox beyond Africa, officials have noted that the disease is spreading in a “defined sexual network of men who are gay, bisexual, or who have sex with men”.
British health officials said there were no signs suggesting continued transmission beyond those populations.
A key WHO adviser said in May that the spike in cases in Europe was probably linked to sexual activity by men at two rave parties in Spain and Belgium, speculating that its presence in the gay and bisexual community was a “random occurrence”. Was.
British experts have said that the majority of cases in Britain involved men who reported having sex with other men in places such as saunas and sex clubs.
Ahead of UK gay pride events this weekend, London’s top public health doctor told people who have symptoms of monkeypox, such as swollen glands or blisters, to stay at home.
WHO Europe director Kluge urged countries to increase their surveillance and genetic sequencing capacity for monkeypox so that cases can be identified early and measures can be taken to prevent further transmission. He added that the procurement of vaccines “must apply the principles of equity”.
The main vaccine being used against monkeypox was originally developed for smallpox and the European Medicines Agency said earlier this week it began evaluating whether the shot should be authorized for monkeypox.
The WHO has said that the supply of the vaccine made by Bavarian Nordic is extremely limited.
Some countries, including the UK and Germany, have begun immunizing people at high risk of monkeypox; The UK recently widened its vaccination program to offer the shot mostly for gay and bisexual men, who have multiple sex partners and are considered the most vulnerable.
As of May, monkeypox was not known to cause large outbreaks outside of Africa, where the disease is endemic in many countries and causes mostly limited outbreaks when it jumps to people from infected wild animals.
So far, around 1,800 suspected monkeypox cases have been reported in Africa, including more than 70 deaths. Vaccines have never been used to prevent monkeypox outbreaks in Africa. The WHO’s Africa office said this week that countries with vaccine supplies are “mainly reserving them for their own populations”.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Zee News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)