The World Health Organization issued an early warning of monkeypox outbreak on the 21st, saying that since cases have been found in many countries where monkeypox virus is not prevalent, more cases may be found in these countries and other countries in the future, and monkeypox virus will spread further. According to who data on the 21st, since May 13, 92 confirmed cases and 28 suspected cases have been reported in 12 countries without monkeypox virus in three who regional offices, and there have been no deaths so far.
Among them, the confirmed and suspected cases are mainly from the UK, Spain and Portugal, and the rest are distributed in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States.
According to who, these cases have no clear travel history in monkeypox endemic areas and are mainly, but not limited to, found in men who have sex with men. So far, all cases confirmed by PCR have been identified as the evolutionary branch of West Africa infected with the virus. The genome sequence of swab samples from confirmed cases in Portugal shows that the monkeypox virus leading to the current epidemic closely matches the cases exported from Nigeria to the UK, Israel and Singapore in 2018 and 2019.
Who expects that with the expansion of surveillance, more cases may be found in countries that have reported cases and other countries in the future. The current response focuses on providing accurate information to the people most vulnerable to monkeypox to prevent further transmission. Evidence suggests that the highest risk of infection is among people who have had close physical contact with monkeypox patients after they developed symptoms.
Monkeypox cases often occur in West and Central Africa, but the confirmed and suspected cases reported by many countries do not have any travel history in monkeypox endemic areas, which is not normal. Therefore, who believes that there is an urgent need to raise awareness of monkeypox and take comprehensive measures to timely detect and isolate cases, track contacts and provide supportive care to limit further transmission.
The who calls on all countries to be vigilant about whether patients have atypical rash related signals. This kind of rash is manifested in spots, papules, blisters, pustules, scabs, etc., and may be accompanied by fever, enlarged lymph nodes, back pain and muscle soreness. Patients may visit communities and health care institutions, including but not limited to primary health care institutions, fever clinics, infectious diseases departments, gynecology and obstetrics, Urology, emergency departments and dermatology clinics. Improving prevention awareness is very important to identify and prevent further secondary cases and effectively manage the current epidemic.