Monkeypox Photo: VCG
The WHO said on Monday it was not concerned at this time that the spread of smallpox in small numbers beyond the African countries where it is commonly found could cause a global pandemic.
Since Britain first reported a confirmed case of smallpox confirmed on May 7, nearly 400 suspected and confirmed cases have been reported to the World Health Organization in nearly two dozen countries far from states where the virus is endemic.
The United Nations health agency has expressed concern about the “unusual situation”, but on Monday reiterated that there was no reason to panic over the virus, which is spread by close contact and does not usually cause serious illness.
Asked during an epidemiological briefing about whether the virus, which is endemic in several nations in West and Central Africa, could cause another pandemic, WHO’s chief smallpox expert, Rosamund Lewis, acknowledged that ” we do not know”. But “we don’t believe it,” he said. “At the moment, we are not worried about a global pandemic.”
He said it was important to take swift action to curb the spread of the virus.
“It is still possible to stop this outbreak before it gets bigger,” he told an online public forum. “I don’t think we should be afraid collectively.”
Smallpox is related to smallpox, which kills millions of people worldwide each year before being eradicated in 1980.
But monkeypox is much less severe and most people recover in three to four weeks.
Initial symptoms include high fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a chickenpox-like blistering rash.
Experts are trying to determine why the virus has suddenly started spreading to countries where it has never been seen before, and especially among young men.
One theory is that smallpox is spreading more easily among people under the age of 45 who have not been vaccinated against smallpox.
Smallpox vaccines have also been found to be approximately 85% effective in preventing smallpox, but are scarce.
Experts fear that smallpox could take advantage of global immunity gaps to fill the smallpox gap.
“We are concerned that it will replace smallpox, and we really don’t want that to happen,” said Lewis, who also heads the WHO’s smallpox secretariat.
He stressed the importance of raising awareness of people who may be at risk, first detecting cases, isolating infected people and keeping track of their contacts.
Experts point out that there is no evidence that the monkey’s smallpox is sexually transmitted, but suggest that there may be several events called amplifiers where members of the LGBTQ community have come together very closely.
AFP