The monkeypox outbreak is not currently a global public health problem, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said, although that may change in the future.
Key points:
- A meeting of the WHO emergency committee was convened after 50 countries reported cases of monkeypox since May
- There have been more than 3,200 confirmed cases in this outbreak, including eight in Australia
- The WHO said there are serious concerns about the outbreak and is monitoring the situation
However, the WHO noted the “emergency nature of the outbreak” and said “intense response efforts” were needed to control further spread.
The announcement was made after WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus convened an emergency committee on the disease.
Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was “deeply concerned” by the evolving monkeypox threat, which has been identified in more than 50 countries.
The committee said the outbreak should be “closely monitored and reviewed in a few weeks”.
But I would recommend a reassessment before that if new developments arose.
To date, there have been more than 3,200 confirmed cases worldwide since May, including at least eight confirmed cases in Australia.
Official figures for June 15 show that confirmed cases in Australia include three in Victoria and five in New South Wales.
The WHO Director-General said the committee had noted that monkeypox had been circulating in several African countries for decades and that it had been neglected in terms of research, care and funding.
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“This needs to change not just for monkeypox, but for other diseases neglected in low-income countries, as the world is once again reminded that health is an interconnected proposition.”
Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said that what makes the current epidemic particularly worrying is the “rapid and continuous spread” to new countries and the risk of additional transmission to vulnerable populations, including immunocompromised people, pregnant women and children.
The WHO said there were many unknowns and gaps in the current data on the outbreak.
Scientists warn that anyone who is in close physical contact with someone infected with smallpox or their clothes or sheets is at risk of contracting the disease.
The clinical presentation of smallpox is similar to that of smallpox, although it is less contagious than smallpox and causes less serious diseases.
People with monkeypox often experience symptoms such as fever, body aches and a rash. Most recover in a few weeks without the need for medical attention.