The number of confirmed cases smallpox of monkeys has reached 219 worldwide, beyond the countries of Africa where the disease is endemic, according to updated data released by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
A total of 19 countries where monkey pox is uncommon – mainly in Europe – have confirmed at least one case, according to the same source.
In addition to the 11 African countries, three countries currently have the highest number of confirmed cases: the United Kingdom, the first country to detect unusual cases in early May (71), Spain (51) and Portugal (37), according to with the ECDC.
“This is the first time that transmission lines have been reported in Europe without known epidemiological links to West or Central Africa, where the disease is endemic,” the source said.
“Most cases are young men, who identify themselves as men having sex with men. “There have been no deaths,” said the Stockholm-based ECDC.
Europe has the highest number of cases with 191, including 118 in EU countries. Canada (15), the United States (9), Australia (2), Israel (1) and the United Arab Emirates (1) are six non-European countries with confirmed cases.
Suspicious cases are not counted in the report.
The total number of cases detected by the ECDC on Monday has nearly increased fivefold since its first count on May 20, when the same source counted 38 cases.
On Monday, in its first risk assessment, the ECDC considered the probability of transmission to the general population to be “very low” but warned that those who had multiple sexual partners – regardless of their sexual orientation – were at greater risk.
Monkey pox is a virus that usually causes fever and characteristic rashes on the skin, similar to those of chickenpox. It is considered a mild illness and usually goes away in two to four weeks without the need for any treatment.
The most common mode of transmission is by touching an infected person or by exchanging body fluids. The virus can also be transmitted by respiratory droplets
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