Monkeypox Photo: VCG
The World Health Organization said on Sunday that 780 laboratory-confirmed cases of monkeypox had been reported from 27 non-endemic countries, but maintained that the overall risk level was moderate.
The WHO said the figure of 780, for the cases from May 13 to Thursday, was probably an underestimation due to limited epidemiological and laboratory information.
“It is very likely that other countries will identify cases and there will be a further spread of the virus,” the UN health agency added.
Few hospitalizations have been reported, apart from isolated patients.
The WHO listed the non-endemic countries with the highest number of cases, such as Great Britain (207), Spain (156), Portugal (138), Canada (58) and Germany (57).
In addition to Europe and North America, there have also been cases – in single figures – in Argentina, Australia, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.
A case of monkeypox in a non-endemic country is considered an outbreak.
“Some countries report that new generations of cases no longer appear only among known contacts of previously confirmed cases, suggesting that transmission chains are being lost due to undetected circulation of the virus,” the WHO said. .
“While the current risk to human health and the general public remains low, the risk to public health could be high if the virus seizes the opportunity to establish itself in non-endemic countries. as a widespread human pathogen, “he said.
“The WHO rates global risk as moderate, given that this is the first time many cases and groups of monkeypox have been reported simultaneously in non-endemic and endemic countries.”
Most of the reported cases so far have been filed through sexual health services or other health services and have mainly involved men who have sex with men, the WHO said.
The organization said that many cases did not present the classic clinical picture of monkeypox: some have described that pustules appear before symptoms such as fever and that they have lesions at different stages of development, both atypical.
The WHO said there had been no deaths associated with outbreaks in non-endemic countries, but cases and deaths from endemic areas continue to be reported.
The WHO listed endemic states such as Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Gabon and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as Ghana where it has only been identified. in animals. Of the top seven in these countries, 66 deaths were recorded in the first five months of 2022.
Last week, the WHO brought together just over 500 experts and more than 2,000 participants to discuss the monkeypox knowledge gaps and research priorities.
AFP