LONDON (AP) – The World Health Organization says nearly 200 cases of monkeypox have been reported in more than 20 countries that do not usually have outbreaks of the unusual disease, but described the epidemic as “Containable” and proposed creating a reserve to share the limited vaccines and drugs available worldwide.
During a public briefing on Friday, the UN health agency said there were still many unanswered questions about what caused the monkey’s unprecedented outbreak of smallpox outside Africa, but there was no evidence that there is no genetic change in the virus.
This 2003 electron microscope image provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows mature, oval, monkeypox virions on the left and immature spheres on the right, obtained from a sample of human skin associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak.
Cynthia S. Goldsmith, Russell Regner / CDC via AP
“Early sequencing of the virus shows that the strain is no different from the strains we can find in endemic countries and (this outbreak) is probably more due to a change in human behavior,” said Dr. Sylvie Briand, director of the pandemic. of the WHO. and epidemic diseases.
Earlier this week, a senior WHO adviser said the outbreak in Europe, the United States, Israel, Australia and beyond was likely related to sex in two recent radishes in Spain and Belgium. This marks a significant deviation from the typical pattern of the spread of the disease in Central and West Africa, where people are mainly infected by animals such as rodents and wild primates, and outbreaks have not spread across borders.
Although the WHO said nearly 200 cases of monkeypox had been reported, it appeared to be an insufficient count. On Friday, Spanish authorities said the number of cases there had risen to 98, including a woman, whose infection was “directly related” to a chain of transmission that had previously been limited to men, according to officials. the region of Madrid.
UK officials added 16 more cases to their monkeypox count, bringing Britain’s total to 106, while Portugal said its volume had risen to 74 cases. And Argentine authorities reported on Friday a case of smallpox in a man in Buenos Aires, which marked the first infection in Latin America. Authorities said the man had recently traveled to Spain and now had symptoms compatible with monkeypox, including injuries and fever.
Doctors in Britain, Spain, Portugal, Canada, the United States and elsewhere have noted that most infections so far have occurred in gay and bisexual men, or in men who have sex with men. The disease is unlikely to affect people because of their sexual orientation, and scientists warn that the virus could infect others if transmission is not stopped.
Briand, of the WHO, said that depending on how past outbreaks of the disease in Africa have evolved, the current situation seemed “contained”.
However, he said the WHO hoped to see more cases reported in the future, noting that “we do not know if we are just seeing the peak of the iceberg (or) if there are many more cases that are not detected in communities, “he said. .
As countries such as Britain, Germany, Canada and the United States begin to assess how smallpox vaccines could be used to curb the outbreak, the WHO said its panel was evaluating the evidence and will provide guidance soon.
Dr. Rosamund Lewis, head of the WHO smallpox department, said “there is no need for mass vaccination,” and explained that the monkey’s smallpox does not spread easily and usually requires skin-to-skin contact. to its transmission. Smallpox vaccines have not been developed specifically, but the WHO estimates that smallpox vaccines are about 85% effective.
He said countries with vaccine supplies could consider them for those at high risk for the disease, such as close contacts of patients or health workers, but that smallpox could be controlled primarily by isolating contacts and continuing epidemiological research.
Given the limited global supply of smallpox vaccines, WHO Chief Emergency Officer Dr. Mike Ryan said the agency will work with its member countries to potentially develop a centrally controlled reserve, similar to those has helped distribute during yellow fever outbreaks. meningitis and cholera in countries that cannot afford them.
“We’re talking about providing vaccines for a targeted vaccination campaign, for targeted therapeutics,” Ryan said. “So the volumes don’t have to be big, but every country may need access to a small amount of vaccine.”
Most patients with monkeypox only experience fever, body aches, chills, and fatigue. People with more serious illnesses can develop rashes and lesions on their face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body.
Ashifa Kassam in Madrid and Daniel Politi in Buenos Aires, Argentina, contributed to this report.