WHO says monkeypox risk assessed as ‘moderate’

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that the international monkeypox virus outbreak is assessed as “moderate” – even as the agency noted that the actual number of cases is “underestimated”. Is.”

The United Nations (UN) health agency said in a release that, since 22 June 2022, more than 3,400 laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported and one death has been reported to WHO from 50 countries and territories.

Most of those cases were reported from the WHO European region, with the Americas accounting for 11%.

The death was reported in Nigeria in the second quarter of 2022.

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A section of skin tissue harvested from a wound on the skin of a monkey infected with the monkeypox virus is seen at 50X magnification on the fourth day of rash development in 1968.
(Handout via CDC/Reuters.)

“The overall risk is assessed as moderate [the] Considering this on a global scale, for the first time, cases and clusters in five WHO regions have been reported together. Includes a somewhat unusual clinical presentation of cases, along with several newly affected countries. In other WHO regions, the risk is considered moderate, taking into account the epidemiological pattern, the potential risk of importation of cases, and the ability to detect and respond to outbreaks.”

It highlighted that, for the newly affected countries, this is the first time that cases have been confirmed primarily in men who have recently had sexual contact with a new or multiple partners.

In addition, WHO called unexpected worldwide presence of monkeypox indicates that the virus may be circulating below levels detectable by surveillance systems and that “sustained human-to-human transmission may not be known for a period of time.”

A health worker prepares a syringe at the monkeypox vaccination clinic run by CIUSSS public health officials on June 6, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
(Reuters/Christine Muschi)

presentation of Monkeypox cases linked to outbreak has been “unusual”, including presentation of only a few or only one lesion, absence of skin lesions with anal pain and bleeding, sores in the genital or perineal area that do not spread, lesions visible at various stages of development . and the presence of lesions before fever, malaise and other constitutional symptoms.

“The actual number of cases may be an underestimate, in part due to the lack of early clinical recognition of an infection previously known in only a handful of countries, and the limited advanced surveillance mechanisms in many countries that were previously ‘unknown’.” health system most vulnerable to disease,” the WHO said, noting that healthcare-associated infections “cannot be ruled out.”

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In response to this, smallpox vaccines have received authorization in the US, Europe and Canada to treat monkeypox.

Following its June 23, 2022 meeting, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee advised the Director-General of WHO that the outbreak is not a public health emergency of international concern at this stage.

However, the committee advised that the incident should be closely monitored and reviewed again.

World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus makes a statement on coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination during the European Union – African Union summit on February 18, 2022 in Brussels, Belgium.
(Reuters/Johanna Geron/Pool)

WHO does not recommend measures to restrict international traffic, but advises that anyone believed to be a suspected or confirmed case of monkeypox avoid non-essential travel and that people who have been exposed to travel or on return There is a disease like rash. Should report to a health professional immediately.

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Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows there are now more than 240 confirmed Cases of monkeypox and orthopoxvirus in the US