The World Health Organization (WHO) mentioned on Monday that it isn’t fearful for now that the unfold of monkeypox past the African international locations the place it’s sometimes discovered might spark a worldwide pandemic. According to a report by the information company AFP, since Britain first reported a confirmed monkeypox case on May 7, almost 400 suspected and confirmed circumstances have been reported to the WHO in almost two dozen international locations removed from the states the place the virus is endemic.
The international well being company additionally assured that there was no purpose to panic over the virus, which spreads by shut contact and often doesn’t trigger extreme illness.
“We don’t think so. At the moment, we are not concerned about a global pandemic. It Is important to take rapid steps to rein in the spread of the virus. It is still possible to stop this outbreak before it gets larger. I don’t think we should be scared collectively,” WHO’s prime monkeypox skilled Rosamund Lewis mentioned throughout a press briefing.
Monkeypox is expounded to smallpox, which killed thousands and thousands world wide yearly earlier than it was eradicated in 1980. However, monkeypox is way much less extreme, and most of the people get better inside three to 4 weeks. The preliminary signs embrace a excessive fever, swollen lymph nodes and a blistery chickenpox-like rash.
At current, well being specialists are attempting to find out why the virus has instantly begun spreading in international locations the place it has by no means been seen earlier than, and primarily amongst younger males. One principle is that monkeypox is spreading extra simply amongst individuals underneath the age of 45, who wouldn’t have been vaccinated towards smallpox, as reported by information company AFP. Meanwhile, vaccines developed for smallpox have additionally been discovered to be about 85 p.c efficient in stopping monkeypox, however they’re briefly provide.
Moreover, specialists fear monkeypox might reap the benefits of the gaps in international immunity to fill the smallpox void. “We are concerned that it will replace smallpox and we really don’t want that to happen,” mentioned Lewis, who additionally heads WHO’s smallpox secretariat. So far, lots of the circumstances have been linked to younger males who’ve intercourse with males.
It is noteworthy that well being specialists have emphasised that there is no such thing as a proof that monkeypox is transmitted sexually, however recommend there could have been a number of so-called amplifying occasions the place members of the LGBTQ neighborhood have been gathered in shut proximity.
“This is not a gay disease,” Andy Seale of WHO’s sexually transmitted infections programme instructed the general public discussion board, stressing that the virus might unfold amongst any group of individuals in crowded areas with shut skin-to-skin contact.
Sylvie Briand, WHO’s epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention chief, acknowledged that “respiratory transmission” was additionally occurring. However, she mentioned it nonetheless remained unclear if that transmission was “mostly through droplets or could be airborne.” “There are still many unknowns,” she mentioned at Monday’s epidemiological briefing.
(With inputs from AFP)
Source: www.financialexpress.com”