JAKARTA - The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said the world is paying attention when cases of monkeypox occur in non-endemic countries, while the larger number of cases occurs in countries where the disease is endemic.
There are more than 1,000 cases of monkeypox reported to WHO in the current outbreak outside countries in Africa where it is more common.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the risk of monkeypox developing in non-endemic countries was real but preventable at this point.
So far, twenty-nine countries have reported cases in the current outbreak, which began in May. However, no one has reported any deaths.
At a news conference in Geneva, Tedros also said there were more than 1,400 suspected cases of monkeypox this year in Africa and 66 deaths.
"Unfortunately, the reflection of the world we live in today, the international community has only paid attention to monkeypox because it has emerged in high-income countries," he said.
He said the outbreak was showing signs of community transmission in several countries. For that, according to WHO, he recommends people with monkeypox isolate at home.
Meanwhile, Rosamund Lewis, WHO technical lead for monkeypox outbreaks said 'close interpersonal contact' is the main way the disease spreads, although he added the risk of aerosol transmission is not yet fully known. However, health workers who treat monkeypox patients must wear masks, he said.
In addition, cases are still predominantly men who have sex with men, the WHO added, although cases in women have been reported. To that end, UN agencies work with organizations including the UN AIDS and community groups to raise awareness and stop transmission.
Post-exposure vaccination, including for healthcare workers or close contacts, including sexual partners - ideally within four days of exposure - may be considered for some countries, the WHO added.
Senior WHO official Sylvie Briand said the agency was assessing the potential of stockpiled vaccines against smallpox, then contacting manufacturers and countries that had previously promised vaccines.
The vaccine used is designed to fight smallpox, a related more dangerous virus that was eradicated worldwide in 1980, but also serves to protect against monkeypox, according to research.
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