The WHO emphasizes, however, that serious complications remain rare.
An increase in the number of deaths from monkey pox is expected, the World Health Organization’s regional office for Europe said today, after the first deaths outside Africa were announced.
The WHO emphasizes, however, that serious complications remain rare.
Two human deaths caused by monkeypox have been announced since Friday in Spain and another in Brazil, without it being known if the virus is actually the cause of these deaths.
These three cases bring to eight the number of deaths recorded worldwide since May, the first five in Africa, where the disease is endemic and was first identified in humans in 1970
“Given the continued spread of monkeypox in Europe, we expect more deaths,” Catherine Smallwood, WHO Europe’s head of emergencies, said in a statement.
The goal should be to “quickly stop the transmission of the virus in Europe and end this pandemic,” emphasizes Smallwood, who emphasizes, however, that in the majority of cases, the disease heals on its own, without the need for treatment.
“The reporting of monkeypox-related deaths does not change our assessment of the epidemic in Europe. We know that, although in most cases it goes away on its own, monkeypox can lead to serious complications,” he noted.
According to the WHO, more than 18,000 cases have been identified worldwide outside of Africa since early May, most of them in Europe.
At present, the WHO emphasizes that there are no vaccines for everyone and therefore recommends that priority be given to those most at risk, patients and those who care for them or those who do research.
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