প্রকাশ: 22/05/2022
The World Health
Organization said it expects to identify more cases of monkeypox as it expands
surveillance in countries where the disease is not typically found.
As of Saturday, 92 confirmed cases and 28 suspected cases of
monkeypox have been reported from 12 member states that are not endemic for the
virus, the UN 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.
"What seems to be happening now is that it has got into
the population as a sexual form, as a genital form, and is being spread as are
sexually transmitted infections, which has amplified its transmission around
the world," WHO official David Heymann, an infectious disease specialist,
told Reuters.
Heymann said an international committee of experts met via
video conference to look at what needed to be studied about the outbreak and
communicated to the public, including whether there is any asymptomatic spread,
who are at most risk, and the various routes of transmission.
He said the meeting was convened "because of the
urgency of the situation". The committee is not the group that would
suggest declaring a public health emergency of international concern, WHO's
highest form of alert, which applies to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said close contact was 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.
Many of the current cases have been identified at sexual
health clinics.
Early genomic sequencing of a handful of the cases in Europe
has suggested a similarity with the strain that spread in a limited
fashion in Britain, Israel and Singapore in 2018.
Heymann said it was "biologically plausible" the
virus had been circulating outside of the countries where it is endemic, but
had not led to major outbreaks as a result of Covid-19 lockdowns, social
distancing and travel restrictions.
He stressed that the monkeypox outbreak did not resemble the
early days of the Covid-19 pandemic because it does not transmit as easily.
Those who suspect they may have been exposed or who show symptoms including
bumpy rash and fever, should avoid close contact with others, he said.
"There are vaccines available, but the most important
message is, you can protect yourself," he added.
- Reuters
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