On the 20th local time, who held a technical advisory group meeting to discuss information about monkeypox and coping strategies. Subsequently, the who issued a statement that there are about 80 confirmed cases of monkeypox and 50 cases to be investigated in the world, and more cases may be reported with the expansion of monitoring.
"Who and partners are working to better understand the extent and causes of monkeypox outbreaks." The virus is prevalent in some animal populations in some countries, causing occasional infections among locals and travelers, the who said in a statement.
The who said that so far, the outbreaks reported in 11 countries were atypical because they occurred in non monkeypox endemic countries.
On the 20th, Hans Kluge, who regional director for Europe, said that with the summer entering the European region, accompanied by large-scale gatherings, festivals and gatherings, he was worried that the spread might accelerate.
global 80 confirmed cases of monkeypox, why atypical
According to an earlier statement by the who, monkeypox has appeared in eight countries in Europe, including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
As of the 20th local time, the British health and safety agency has confirmed 11 new monkeypox cases in the UK, with a total of 20 confirmed cases. At present, most patients have mild diseases. Previously, three cases have been confirmed in North America: Canada (2 cases) and the United States (1 case), and one case has been confirmed in Australia.
Kruger said the cases were atypical. He said the reason was that all but one person had nothing to do with travel to monkeypox endemic countries, and it was suspected that the transmission might have lasted for some time because the cases were geographically dispersed in Europe and other regions.
He added that so far, the symptoms of most cases have been mild.
"Monkeypox is usually a self limiting disease, and most infected people recover within a few weeks without treatment. However, the disease may become more serious, especially in young children, pregnant women and people with low immune function," Kruger said
Farle, who assistant director general in charge of emergency response, said at another press conference that monkeypox is mainly prevalent in West and Central Africa, and most cases are found in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and other countries.
For example, the DRC reported more than 6000 cases in 2020 and more than 3000 cases in 2021; The number of cases in Nigeria is also increasing this year, mainly in rural areas. At present, there are still many unknowns about the transmission mode, clinical characteristics and epidemiology of monkeypox, and there are still gaps in treatment and diagnosis.
spread through close contact
The who said that monkeypox virus is mainly transmitted to humans through wild animals such as rodents and primates. It is also transmitted in close contact between people - through infected skin lesions, exhaled droplets or body fluids, including sexual contact - or through contact with contaminated materials such as bedding.
The who said that since monkeypox is transmitted through close contact, the response measures should focus on the affected people and their close contacts. People in close contact with infectious people are at greater risk of infection: This includes health workers, family members and sexual partners.
Kruger said that with the summer entering the European region, accompanied by large-scale gatherings, festivals and gatherings, "I am worried that the transmission may accelerate, because the cases found so far are among those engaged in sexual activities, and these symptoms are strange to many people."
He added that hand washing and other measures implemented during the covid-19 epidemic were also essential to reduce transmission in the medical environment.
Monkeypox is a virus that can cause fever symptoms and unique concave convex rash. There are two main strains: the Congo strain is more serious, with a mortality rate of 10%, and the West African strain has a mortality rate of about 1%.
Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, headache, muscle soreness, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills and fatigue, and usually a rash: This usually starts on the face and then spreads to other parts of the body, including the genitals.
Source: who tweet
The rash goes through different stages and may look like chickenpox or syphilis. Finally, it forms a scab and then falls off. The difference in appearance from chickenpox or syphilis lies in the unified evolution of lesions. The incubation period is usually 6 to 16 days, but up to 21 days. When the scab falls off, the infected person is no longer infectious
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