WHO warns that more cases of monkeypox will appear, a disease detected in 12 countries

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday that we must expect that cases of monkey poxa disease that has been detected in the last ten days in twelve countries, but whose source and route of contagion have not yet been established.

“The situation is evolving in such a way that the OMS believes that there will be more cases of monkeypox to be identified as surveillance is extended in countries that are not endemic,” the organization said in an epidemiological note.

So far 92 cases have been confirmed and there are 28 suspects.

Current information indicates that Those who are most at risk of contagion are those who have close physical contact with someone who is infected and has symptoms.

Of the reported cases it has not been possible to establish that any of those affected have been in an endemic area for this disease and the disease has been identified primarily (although not exclusively) among men who have sex with men.

“The identification of confirmed or suspected cases without travel links to endemic areas is a very unusual event,” recognized the organization.

The OMS indicated that it is working on directives to protect front-line health workers and other health workers who may be more exposed than others, such as those involved in cleaning tasks.

Genomic sequence obtained from a swab from a case in Portugal has revealed a similarity to the smallpox virus exported from Nigeria and which caused outbreaks in the UK, Israel and Singapore between 2018 and 2019.

Monkeypox is a zoonosis (virus transmitted to humans by animals) and its symptoms are similar to those seen in the past among smallpox patients, although with less severity.

Its transmission takes place through contact with wounds, body fluids, droplets and contaminated material, such as bedding, and its incubation period is usually from six to thirteen days, although it can go up to 21 days.

Immunity against this disease is very low among the young population, given that the population under 40 or 50 years of age has not received the smallpox vaccine and the virus has not been present in non-endemic countries.

The endemic countries are: Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana (here it has only been identified among animals), Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo (Brazaville), Sierra Leone and Sudan from the south.