There is no room for complacency around the monkeypox outbreak, according to the World Health Organization. More than two weeks ago, cases in Europe have tripled in just over two weeks, with some infections identified in children.
In a statement issued on Friday, Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, called on governments and the public to increase efforts to prevent the disease from reaching its geographical reach. He said that urgent and coordinated action is necessary if we want to turn a corner in the race to reverse the spread of the disease.
More than 90 percent of confirmed cases in the latest outbreak have been reported in 31 countries and areas, according to Kluge. He said that confirmed cases in the region had more than tripled since June 15th, reaching more than 4,500. Most of the cases for which information is available have been in men who have sex with men, although some have been identified in other demographics, including children.
Last week, it was announced that the outbreak would not yet be classed as a public health emergency of international concern, but Kluge said the committee would revisit its position soon. The label was used for Covid-19, which was declared by the WHO on 30 January 2020 as a PHEIC.
He said that the WHO continues to assess the risk of monkeypox in the European region.
While Kluge said no confirmed cases had died, 10% had been hospitalised for treatment or isolation purposes, and one had been admitted to an intensive care unit.
He said that there was no room for complacency, especially in the European region, with its fast-moving outbreak that has extending its reach to previously unaffected areas, and the stigmatisation of men who have sex with men in some countries was further compounded by the fact that there was no room for complacency.
Data from the UK Health Security Agency shows that there had been 1,235 confirmed cases in the UK as of Thursday, up from 1,076 confirmed by last Sunday.
Dr Sophia Makki, an incident director at the UKHSA, urged people participating in Pride events to check for blister-like spots and rashes.
If you have a rash or blisters, call a sexual health clinic, stay at home, and get tested, she said. If you have sex with someone new, be aware of any monkeypox symptoms in the coming weeks. To help with our contact tracing, we encourage everyone to exchange contact details with sexual partners.