Monkeypox does not become a pandemic, but many unknowns: WHO

London-The World Health Organization’s best monkeypox expert said he did not expect the hundreds of cases reported so far to become another pandemic, but how accurately the disease is spreading. The massive smallpox immunity decades ago may somehow speed up its transmission.

In a public session on Monday, Dr. Rosamund Lewis of WHO said that the majority of cases found in dozens of countries around the world are men who have sex with gay, bisexual, or men so that scientists can study further. I mentioned that it is important to emphasize that for people at risk of taking problems and precautions.

“It’s very important to explain this because it seems to be an increase in modes of infection that may have been unrecognized in the past,” said Lewis, WHO’s technical leader on monkeypox. I am saying.

Still, she warned that everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, is at potential risk for the disease. Other experts pointed out that the disease may have been first discovered in gay and bisexual men by chance, and that it could quickly spread to other groups if not suppressed. increase.

It is unclear whether monkeypox is transmitted by sexual activity or only intimate contact between people engaged in sexual activity, Lewis said, and the threat to the general population is “low.”

“It is not yet known if this virus is exploiting a new mode of infection, but it is clear that it continues to utilize the well-known mode of infection that is in close physical contact,” Lewis said. I have. Monkeypox is known to spread when in close physical contact with an infected person or her clothing or sheets.

She also warned that a high proportion of current cases have fewer lesions, are concentrated in the genital area, and are sometimes barely visible.

“These lesions can last for 2-4 weeks (and) may not be visible to others, but they can still be infectious,” she said.

Last week, WHO’s top advisors said outbreaks in Europe, the United States, Israel, Australia, and beyond are likely related to sex in the two recent rave in Spain and Belgium. .. This represents a major deviation from the typical epidemic pattern of this disease in Central and Western Africa. In Central and Western Africa, people are predominantly infected with animals such as wild rodents and primates, and epidemics do not spread across national borders.

Most monkeypox patients experience only fever, body aches, chills, and malaise. People with more serious illnesses have rashes and lesions on their faces and hands that can spread to other parts of the body. No deaths have been reported in the current outbreak.

WHO Lewis also said that previous cases of monkeypox in Central and West Africa were relatively contained, but whether people could spread monkeypox without symptoms, or the disease was measles or COVID-. He said it was not clear if it could float in the air like 19.

Monkeypox is associated with smallpox, but the symptoms are mild. After the declaration of smallpox eradication in 1980, countries suspended their mass immune programs. This is a move that some experts believe is helping the monkeypox epidemic because immunity to related illnesses is poorly widespread. The smallpox vaccine is also defensive against monkeypox.

Lewis said it would be “unfortunate” if monkeypox could “take advantage of the immune gap” left by smallpox 40 years ago, and there is still an opportunity to close the outbreak so that monkeypox does not settle in new areas. Said there is. ..

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