As cases of monkeypox rise globally, the World Health Organization has called on the group currently most affected by the virus, men who have sex with men, to limit their sexual partners.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who last Saturday declared monkeypox a global health emergency, told reporters that the best way to protect yourself from the infection was to “reduce the risk of exposure.”
“For men who have sex with men, this includes, for the time being, reducing the number of sexual partners, reconsidering sex with new partners and exchanging contact details with any new partners to enable follow-up if necessary,” he said on Wednesday. .
An increase in monkeypox infections has been reported since early May outside West and Central African countries where the disease has long been endemic.
Tedros said on Wednesday that more than 18,000 cases of monkeypox from 78 countries have now been reported to WHO, with 70 percent of cases reported in Europe and 25 percent in the Americas.
Five deaths have been reported in the outbreak since May, and about 10 percent of those infected end up in the hospital for pain management, he said.
“Anyone” can get monkey pox
About 98% of cases have occurred in men who have sex with men.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine last week found that 98 percent of infected people were gay or bisexual men, and 95 percent of cases were transmitted through sexual activity.
But experts have said that transmission of the disease, which causes a blistering rash, appears to occur mostly during close physical contact, and monkeypox has so far not been labeled a sexually transmitted infection ( STDs).
Experts have also warned that it is not thought that only one community can be affected by the disease, stressing that it is spread through regular skin-to-skin contact, and also through droplets or touching contaminated bedding or towels in the home
“Anyone exposed can get monkeypox,” Tedros said, calling on countries to “take measures” to reduce the risk of transmission to other vulnerable groups, including children, pregnant women and those who are immunosuppressed.
The WHO has repeatedly warned against the stigma surrounding the disease, which could deter those infected from seeking treatment.
“Stigma and discrimination can be as dangerous as any virus and can fuel the outbreak,” Tedros said.
Andy Seale, of the WHO’s sexually transmitted infections programme, stressed that the message about the need for gay and bisexual men to reduce their number of sexual partners “comes from the communities themselves”.
But he said it was possibly only “a short-term message, as we expect the outbreak, of course, to be short-lived.”
He stressed that other measures would also be needed to reduce the number of cases, including disseminating information about symptoms to watch for and the need to isolate quickly, and access to tests and medicines.
No mass vaccination
WHO also recommends specific vaccination for those exposed to someone with monkeypox or for those at high risk of exposure, including healthcare workers and those with multiple sex partners.
“At this time, we do not recommend mass vaccination against monkeypox,” Tedros said.
Vaccines originally developed against smallpox, the much deadlier cousin of monkeypox that was eradicated more than four decades ago, have been found to protect against the virus, but hits are rare.
Tedros also stressed that “vaccination will not provide instant protection against infection or disease, and may take several weeks.”
On supply challenges, he said there were about 16 million doses of the main vaccine, from Danish drugmaker Bavarian Nordic, but most were in bulk.
“It will take several months to fill up and end up in ready-to-use vials,” he said, calling on countries that already have assured doses to share.
“We must ensure equitable access to vaccines for all people and communities affected by monkeypox in all countries and regions.”