The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday that the threat of monkeypox in non-endemic countries is real, with more than a thousand cases now confirmed in such countries.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN health agency was not recommending mass vaccination against the virus and said no deaths had been reported from the outbreak so far.
“The threat of monkeypox in non-endemic countries is real,” Tedros told a news conference.
The zoonotic disease is endemic in humans in nine African countries, but outbreaks have been reported in several other states over the past month – mostly in Europe, and particularly in Britain, Spain and Portugal.
“There are now more than 1,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox to the WHO from 29 countries that are not endemic to the disease,” Tedros said.
“So far, there have been no deaths in these countries. Cases have been mainly reported, but not only in men who have sex with men.
“Some countries have now started reporting cases of apparent community transmission, including some cases in women.”
Early symptoms include high fever, swollen lymph nodes and a blistering chickenpox-like rash.
Tedros said he was particularly concerned about the virus’ exposure to vulnerable groups, including pregnant women and children.
He said the sudden and unexpected appearance of monkeypox outside endemic countries suggested that there may have been undetected transmission for some time, but how long was not known.
A case of monkeypox in a non-endemic country is considered an outbreak.
Tedros said that while it was “clearly related”, the virus had been circulating in Africa for decades and was dying out so far this year, with more than 1,400 suspected cases and 66 deaths.
“Communities that live with the threat of this virus every day deserve equal concern, equal care and equal access to protect themselves,” he said.
Vaccines
In some places where vaccines are available, they are being used to protect people who may be exposed, such as healthcare workers.
He said vaccination after exposure, ideally within four days, may be considered for high-risk close contacts, such as sexual partners or household members.
Tedros said the WHO would issue guidance in the coming days on clinical care, infection prevention and control, vaccination and community protection.
He said people with symptoms should self-isolate at home and seek advice from a health worker, while people from the same household should avoid close contact.
The WHO said over the weekend that apart from patients being isolated, some hospitalizations have been reported.
WHO’s director of epidemic and epidemic preparedness and prevention, Sylvie Bryand, said the smallpox vaccine could be used against monkeypox, a fellow orthopoxvirus, with a high level of efficacy.
WHO is trying to determine how many doses are currently available and asking manufacturers to find out what their production and distribution capacity is.