World Health Organization does a U-turn on monkeypox

NEW DELHI: After claiming that the monkeypox infections, now spread to about 30 countries with more than 550 confirmed cases, can be contained, the World Health Organization (WHO) has admitted that it is not sure whether the virus can be kept in check.

WHO officials, had earlier, stated that the monkeypox outbreak "is a containable situation", and "collectively, the world has an opportunity to stop this outbreak. There is a window".

However, now, Dr Hans Kluge, head of the WHO's Europe office, said "we do not yet know if we will be able to contain its spread completely".

He said that although the monkeypox response should not mimic the scale of Covid-style restrictions, health authorities do need to take "significant and urgent" action to mitigate the threat.

According to Kluge, Europe remains at the epicentre of the largest and most geographically widespread monkeypox outbreak ever reported outside of endemic areas in western and central Africa. The learning curve has been steep over the past two weeks.

"We now have a critical opportunity to act quickly, together, to rapidly investigate and control this fast-evolving situation," he said.

Based on the case reports to date, the current outbreak is being transmitted through social networks connected largely through sexual activity, primarily involving men who have sex with men.

Many -- but not all cases -- also report fleeting and/or multiple sexual partners, sometimes associated with large events or parties.

However, it isn't clear yet as to "whether the monkeypox virus can also spread from one person to another through semen or vaginal fluids". There is also no clarity on "whether the virus could persist in these bodily fluids for longer periods of time", Kluge said.

While the first case was reported from the UK on May 7, he noted it may have been circulating since mid-April.

"Even as new patients present every day, investigations into past cases show that the outbreak in our region was certainly underway as early as mid-April," Kluge said. (IANS)

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