The World Health Organization (who) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that monkeypox outbreaks in many countries continue to pose a low risk to the public, and at present, it is unlikely that the cases will evolve into a global pandemic However, experts worry that if no urgent and thorough public health response measures are taken, the virus may continue to spread and the spread may escape control
The total number of outbreaks continues to increase rapidly. Now at least 23 countries and regions have reported hundreds of cases. In the update released on Sunday, May 29, who reported 257 confirmed cases and about 120 suspected cases from 23 countries and regions. Now, these figures are obviously out of date. As of Monday, our world in data had reported 555 confirmed cases worldwide. On Tuesday, the UK reported 190 cases, which is higher than the 106 cases reported by the who on Sunday. Similarly, the total number of cases in the United States has increased to 15, higher than the 10 reported last week.
At a press conference last Thursday, Rochelle walensky, director of CDC, said that the agency speculated that the virus was spreading in some communities in the United States.
Nevertheless, in a public speech last week to guide clinicians, Agam Rao, an American CDC infectious disease expert and pox virus expert, stressed that monkeypox virus is not easy to spread. The virus is related to smallpox, but the disease caused by it is relatively mild, with obvious rash, usually accompanied by flu like symptoms. Transmission requires close and long-term contact, and the risk of transmission to medical staff, family members and sexual partners of infected persons is the highest. Rao succinctly said: "monkeypox virus does not have the potential to become a pandemic."
So far, many cases seem to have occurred in gay men (MSM), and the virus seems to be spreading through sexual networks. But health officials are cautious to avoid stimulating stigma or a false sense of security. The virus can be transmitted to anyone, and it is not a specialized sexually transmitted infection.
Moderate risk and continuous spread
In its risk assessment on Sunday, the who pointed out that "the risk to the general public seems to be very low", and the overall public health risk at the global level is assessed as medium. Given that a wide range of cases are concentrated in countries outside West and Central Africa, where the virus is endemic to animals.
The agency also said: "if the virus takes advantage of the opportunity to establish itself as a human pathogen and spread to groups with high risk of serious diseases such as young children and immunosuppressants, the public health risk may become very high."
Rosamund Lewis, who technical director of monkeypox, presented this assessment at an open webinar on Monday. He said: "at present, we are not worried about a global pandemic... What we are worried about is that if individuals do not have the information they need to protect themselves, they may acquire this infection through high-risk contact. What we are worried about is that since the eradication of smallpox has ended, the global population has no immunity to orthopox virus, and the virus may try to use a niche to spread more easily among people."
Health officials are now working against time to raise awareness and strengthen outreach programmes ahead of the pride month celebrations in June. Hans Henri Kluge, who regional director for Europe, pointed out in a statement on Tuesday that with the relaxation of pandemic restrictions, the spread of the virus has been related to large-scale events and parties in Europe. The virus is suspected to have circulated undetected for weeks or more. The upcoming festivals and large gatherings may provide further opportunities for the expansion of the epidemic.
"We don't know whether we can fully control its transmission," Kluge said. "To this end, we need to significantly and urgently reduce exposure through clear communication, community led action, case isolation during the infection period and effective contact tracking and monitoring.