WHO holds emergency meeting over monkeypox
WHO holds emergency meeting to discuss recent outbreak of monkeypox, as Europe may have recorded more than 100 cases.
Urgent meeting to discuss disease outbreak monkey pox was organized on May 20 by the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Potential Pandemic and Infectious Threats (STAG-IH), part of the World Health Organization (WHO).
STAG-IH has a mandate to advise on infectious risks that may threaten global health. This group is not responsible for declaring a public health emergency over an outbreak. The state of emergency is WHO’s highest form of alert, being applied to a pandemic Covid-19.
“It looks like the risk is still low at this point,” said a senior US official about monkeypox.
A staff member takes the temperature of passengers at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Indonesia, amid fears of infection with monkeypox virus in May 2019. Image: AFP.
The emergency meeting of WHO came after Europe suspected more than 100 cases of monkeypox, reported in at least nine countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the West. Spain, Sweden and England. Cases have also been reported in the US, Canada and Australia.
Health authorities Virtue Called it the largest and most widespread outbreak of monkeypox in Europe ever. Germany detected its first case on May 20.
Officials Brother meanwhile said it had administered the common smallpox vaccine to some health care workers and others at risk of exposure to the monkeypox virus.
Early monkey disease usually has symptoms of fever as well as a rash. First confirmed in monkeys, the disease is usually spread by close contact with sick people.
Monkeypox rarely spreads outside of Africa, so the recent spate of infections in Europe has caused concern. However, scientists do not think monkeypox can progress like the Covid-19 pandemic, because the virus is not as contagious as nCoV.
The head of the WHO Europe region fears the number of monkeypox cases could still increase as people gather for parties and festivals during the summer months.
WHO says there is no specific vaccine for monkeypox. However, studies show that the common smallpox vaccine can be up to 85% effective against monkeypox.
Ngoc Anh (According to Reuters)
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