The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 5,322 laboratory-confirmed cases of monkeypox worldwide. The increase was more than 50% compared to the previous balance, on June 22, and accounted for one death, a spokeswoman for the organization announced on Tuesday (5).
“WHO continues to ask countries to pay special attention to cases of monkeypox, in order to try to limit contamination,” Fadela Chaib said at a press conference held in Geneva.
There are currently no plans for a second meeting of the WHO emergency committee on the matter, after the first meeting on 23 June.
The health agency estimated last week that the current outbreak of monkeypox, while very worrying, did not constitute “a public health emergency of international scope,” the organization’s highest level of alert.
The number of cases has increased considerably in recent days. In the last balance, made on June 30, there was an increase of 55.9% compared to the previous count, which eight days before recorded only 3,413 cases.
Europe remains the region most affected by the virus with 85% of cases, while 53 countries are affected.
Since May, an unusual increase in monkeypox cases has been detected outside Central and West African countries, where the virus usually circulates.
“There have been some cases in children and in people with a compromised immune system,” the spokeswoman emphasized.
Known in humans since the 1970s, the disease is considered to be much less dangerous and contagious than smallpox, which was eradicated in 1980.
Monkeypox, manifested through flu-like symptoms and skin rashes, usually disappears after two or three weeks.
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