WHO warns monkeypox spreading ‘undetected’ for a while now

The World Health Organisation warned on Wednesday that outbreak of endemic diseases such as monkeypox has become more frequent, and it is likely that monkeypox has been spreading undetected for a while now.

More than 550 cases of the disease have been confirmed in over 30 countries.

"Investigations are ongoing, but the sudden appearance of monkeypox in many countries at the same time suggests there may have been undetected transmission for some time," World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.

As climate change contributes to rapidly changing weather conditions like drought, animals and humans are changing their behaviour, including food-seeking habits. As a result of this "ecologic fragility", pathogens that typically circulate in animals are increasingly jumping into humans, he said.

"Unfortunately, that ability to amplify that disease and move it on within our communities is increasing - so both disease emergence and disease amplification factors have increased."

His commentary comes as cases of monkeypox continue to rise outside Africa, where the pathogen is endemic.

But monkeypox, which spreads through close contact, is much less severe, with symptoms typically including a high fever and a blistery chickenpox-like rash that clears up after a few weeks.

So far, most cases have been reported among men who have sex with men, although experts stress there is no evidence that monkeypox is transmitted sexually.

"Anyone can be infected with monkeypox if they have close physical contact with someone else who is infected," Tedros said.

He urged everyone to help "fight stigma, which is not just wrong, it could also prevent infected individuals from seeking care, making it harder to stop transmission."

The WHO, he said, was also "urging affected countries to widen their surveillance" Vaccines developed for smallpox have also been found to be about 85 per cent effective in preventing monkeypox, but they are in short supply.

WHO is not proposing mass vaccination, but rather targeted use in some settings to protect health workers and people most at risk of infection.

[ With inputs from agencies]

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