Professor Jimmy Whitworth of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine told GB News that a blockade would not be needed as long as we keep the disease under control.
A containment of monkeypox should not be necessary if we have the disease under control, an infectious disease expert told GB News.
Cases of monkeypox continue to grow around the world after the virus spread to Europe.
The latest advice from the UKHSA recommends that anyone get in touch with someone infected with monkeypox who is isolated for 21 days.
With Belgium also introducing a quarantine period, this has led to fears of another confinement, similar to that seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.
A chickenpox rash may look similar to a chickenpox eruption PA Features Archive / Press Association Images
Jimmy Whitworth, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told GB News that this would not be necessary as long as we had the virus under control.
But Professor Whitworth advised caution, as the cases would continue to spread.
He told us: “I don’t think we will ever need a blockade, because I hope we will have it under control before it is ever considered.
“Monkeypox can be a serious disease. With this West African strain, about one percent of cases can die.
“The number of cases is likely to continue to rise until we are able to control the transmission that requires the identification of all cases and their contacts.
Professor Jimmy Whitworth
RSTMH
“The final size of the outbreak will depend on how quickly we can control the transmission.”
Various theories have emerged about how the disease has spread, such as festivals in the Canary Islands and even pet festivals.
Monkeypox infection can last a long time after the rash goes away, the study confirms
Professor Whitworth said that although no link could be found between the cases, it is likely to have originated in Africa.
He also said: “Monkeypox is endemic to West and Central Africa, where it spreads to humans from small mammals.
“It will have reached Europe and the United States through travelers from West Africa who had been exposed to the infection, traveled while incubating the infection and then developed the disease once they arrived.
“This is the first outbreak of monkeypox in Africa with widespread multinational distribution and dozens of cases.
“There is community outreach and there are no obvious links between all cases.
“This means that there is undocumented transmission.”