The monkeypox outbreak is “unlikely” to become a pandemic like Covid-19, despite its rapid spread in the last month, it said on Monday. (30) the World Health Organization (WHO).
“We do not believe that this outbreak will lead to the beginning of a new pandemic because it is a known virus, we have tools to control it and our experience tells us that it is not as easily transmitted in humans as it is in animals,” said WHO smallpox expert Rosamund Lewis.
So far, since the UK The UK reported the first confirmed case of monkeypox on the 7th, WHO has received reports of a total of 257 laboratory-confirmed cases and about 257 suspected cases in 23 countries.
In Spain, 98 cases have been confirmed so far, according to the Ministry of Health last Friday.
Rosamund Lewis warned that, although the risk of posing a serious health problem, and public is low, the situation is “unusual” because the virus is spreading rapidly in countries where it is not endemic (it is only endemic in Central and West African countries).
Therefore, he asked to the authorities working together with the WHO to apply the necessary measures to help contain the outbreak.
The expert stated that of the 257 confirmed cases, none are related to travel to countries where this type of smallpox is endemic and, therefore, they continue to study the origin of the outbreak.
Regarding the transmission of this disease – whose main symptoms are fever, muscle pain, tiredness and minor skin rashes -, preliminary studies indicate that the main routes of infection are close contact with wounds, body fluids and contaminated materials, such as clothing or cutlery from an infected person.
To date, there is no evidence of infected lactating mothers carry the virus in their milk, although there is a high risk of infection. infect the baby while breastfeeding because close skin-to-skin contact is necessary, Lewis said.
She added that there is a high probability of transmission of the virus through the mouth, where highly infectious ulcers are concentrated.
