The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday that there are 131 confirmed monkeypox cases and 106 further suspected cases since the first was reported on May 7. The majority of the recent cases have been reported in Europe.
The organization also said infection is “containable” and limited.
“We encourage you all to increase the surveillance of monkeypox to see where transmission levels are and understand where it is going,” said Sylvie Briand, WHO director for Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness.
She said it was unclear if the cases were the “tip of the iceberg” or if the peak in transmission has already passed.
Many, but not all, of the cases have been reported in men who have sex with men, and Briand said it was particularly important to try to prevent sexual transmission.
Monkeypox is a usually mild viral infection that is endemic in parts of west and central Africa.
It spreads chiefly through close contact, and until the recent outbreak has only rarely been seen in other parts of the world. The majority of the recent cases have been reported in Europe.
Symptoms include a fever and a distinctive bumpy rash. The West African strain of monkeypox, which is the one identified in the current outbreak, has a mortality rate of around 1%.
Reuters
