According to EU health authorities, more than 200 cases of monkeypox have now been confirmed outside of Africa. A total of 19 countries where the disease does not normally occur have confirmed at least one case, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said on Wednesday evening.
“Most of the cases are young men who self-identify as men who have sex with men. There have been no fatalities,” added the Stockholm-based European agency.
Outside of the 11 African countries where this rare disease is endemic, most confirmed cases are currently concentrated in three countries: the UK (71 cases), Spain (51) and Portugal (37). A total of 191 cases were confirmed in Europe, plus 15 in Canada, nine in the United States, two in Australia, one each in Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Suspected cases were not counted in the balance sheet.
In the meantime, 59 cases of diseases confirmed by a PCR test have been reported from Spain. In view of the situation, the government will now obtain vaccines and medicines from the European Union (EU), announced Health Minister Carolina Darias. A total of 171 suspected cases were reported nationwide. There is no specific vaccine against monkeypox. However, according to current knowledge, the normal smallpox vaccination has a preventative effect of up to 85 percent.
On Monday, in its first risk assessment, the ECDC classified the probability of infection in the general population as “very low”, but as “high” in people with multiple sexual partners. The World Health Organization (WHO) had shown optimism that it would be able to stop the spread of the disease.
Monkeypox is a less dangerous cousin of smallpox, which was eradicated about 40 years ago. The disease begins with a high fever and quickly progresses to a crusting rash.
Source: Nachrichten
