The head of Europe at the World Health Organization has warned that cases of smallpox in the region have tripled in the last two weeks and urged countries to do more to ensure that the previously rare disease does not arches on the continent. Hans Kluge said in a statement that he stepped up efforts. they were needed despite the UN health agency’s decision last week that the escalation of the outbreak still did not justify declaring a global health emergency.
“Urgent and coordinated action is essential if we are to turn a corner in the race to reverse the spread of this disease,” Kluge said.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 5,000 cases of smallpox have been reported in 51 countries around the world.
Kluge said the number of infections in Europe accounts for about 90% of the global total, noting that 31 countries in the WHO European region have identified cases.
He said the data reported to the WHO show that 99 per cent of the cases have been in men, and that most of them have been in men who have sex with men. But he said there are now “a small number” of cases among home contacts. , including children. Most people reported symptoms such as a rash, fever, fatigue, muscle aches, vomiting, and chills. Scientists warn that anyone who is in close physical contact with someone who has smallpox or their clothes or sheets is at risk of infection, regardless of their sexual orientation. Vulnerable populations such as children and pregnant women are believed to be more likely to suffer from serious illnesses. About 10% of patients were hospitalized for treatment or for isolation, and one person was admitted to an intensive care unit.
No deaths were reported.
Until May, it had never been known that monkeypox caused large outbreaks beyond Africa. Source: Reuters
Kluge said the problem of stigma in some countries could make some people suspicious of seeking health care and said WHO was working with partners, including organizers of gay pride events. In the UK, which has the largest outbreak of smallpox beyond Africa, officials have noted that the disease is spreading to “defined sexual networks of gays, bisexuals or men who have sex with men”. Health authorities in the UK said there was no sign to suggest sustained transmission beyond these populations.
Prior to the gay pride events in the UK this weekend, London’s leading public health doctor asked people who had symptoms of smallpox, such as swollen glands or blisters, to stay home.
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Kluge called on countries to increase their surveillance and genetic sequencing capabilities of monkeypox so that cases can be quickly identified and measures taken to prevent further transmission. He said the acquisition of vaccines “must apply the principles of equity.” used against monkeypox was originally developed for smallpox and the European Medicines Agency said earlier this week that it was starting to assess whether the monkeypox vaccine should be authorized. The WHO has said that supplies of the vaccine, manufactured by Bavarian Nordic, are extremely limited. countries like the UK and Germany have already started vaccinating people at high risk for monkeypox.
Recently, the UK has expanded its immunization program to offer the vaccine to mostly gay and bisexual men who have multiple sexual partners and are believed to be the most vulnerable.
A medical worker receives a vaccine against monkeypox at the Seoul National Medical Center, South Korea. Source: AAP / YONHAP / EPA
Until May, it had never been known that monkeypox caused large outbreaks beyond Central and West Africa, where the disease is endemic in several countries and mainly causes limited outbreaks when it reaches people of infected wild animals. So far, there have been about 1800 suspects. cases of monkeypox that include more than 70 deaths in Africa. Vaccines have never been used to stop smallpox outbreaks in Africa.
The WHO’s Africa office said this week that countries with vaccine supplies “are reserving them primarily for their own populations”.