Monkeypox outbreaks can be contained: WHO explains how
We want to stop human-to-human transmission. We can do this in the non-endemic countries, WHO official said
PremiumWorld Health Organization (WHO) on Monday assured that monkeypox outbreaks can be contained in non-endemic countries and human-to-human transmission stopped. This comes even as the UN health agency expects to see a slight uptick in cases with increased surveillance.
"We want to stop human-to-human transmission. We can do this in the non-endemic countries... This is a containable situation," the WHO's emerging diseases lead Maria Van Kerkhove told a live interaction on the UN health agency's social media channels.
So far, 92 confirmed cases and 28 suspected cases of monkeypox have been reported in 12 countries that are not endemic to the virus, the U.N. agency said. adding it will provide further guidance and recommendations in coming days for countries on how to mitigate the spread of monkeypox.
"Available information suggests that human-to-human transmission is occurring among people in close physical contact with cases who are symptomatic", the agency added.
Monkeypox is an infectious disease that is usually mild, and is endemic in parts of west and central Africa. It is spread by close contact, so it can be relatively easily contained through such measures as self-isolation and hygiene. See
Close contact is the key transmission route, as lesions typical of the disease are very infectious. For example, parents caring for sick children are at risk, as are health workers, which is why some countries have started inoculating teams treating monkeypox patients using vaccines for smallpox, a related virus.
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