WHO warns of ‘real’ risk as monkeypox outbreak tops 1,000 cases
- WHO says 29 countries have reported monkeypox cases in the current outbreak, which began in May
- Cases are still predominantly among men who have sex with men, though no deaths have been reported
The risk of monkeypox becoming established in non-endemic nations is real, the WHO warned Wednesday, with more than a thousand cases now confirmed in such countries.
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN health agency was not recommending mass vaccination against the virus, and added that no deaths had been reported so far from the outbreaks.
“The risk of monkeypox becoming established in non-endemic countries is real,” Tedros told a press conference.
The zoonotic disease is endemic in humans in nine African countries but outbreaks have been reported in the past month in several other states – mostly in Europe, and notably in Britain, Spain and Portugal.
“More than 1,000 confirmed cases of monkeypox have now been reported to WHO from 29 countries that are not endemic for the disease,” Tedros said.
“So far, no deaths have been reported in these countries. Cases have been reported mainly, but not only, among men who have sex with men.