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The World Health Organization does not believe monkey pox outbreaks outside Africa will lead to a pandemic, an official said Monday, adding that it remains unclear whether infected people who show no symptoms can transmit the disease.
More than 300 suspected and confirmed cases of smallpox – a mild disease that usually spreads through close contact and can cause flu-like symptoms and pus-filled skin rashes – were reported in May, mainly in Europe.
The WHO is assessing whether the blast should be classified as “a potential public health emergency of international concern”. Such an assessment, as was done for COVID-19 and Ebola, would help speed up research and funding to curb the disease.
Asked if this monkey pox outbreak has the potential to turn into a pandemic, Rosamund Lewis, technical director for the monkey pox with the WHO Health Emergency Program, said: “We are not sure, but we do not think it will advance. “At the moment, we are not worried about a global pandemic,” she said.
With monkeypox virus infection, the duration of the appearance of skin rash is known as infectious period, but there is limited information if there is any spread of the virus from people who do not show symptoms, she added.
“We really do not know yet if there is asymptomatic transmission of aphids – indications in the past have been that this is not a key feature – but it remains to be determined,” she said.
The type of virus that causes complications kills a small proportion of those infected, but so far no deaths have been reported.
Most cases have occurred in Europe and not in Central and West African countries where the virus is endemic, and are largely unrelated to travel.
Therefore, scientists are trying to determine what might explain this unusual increase in cases, while public health authorities suspect there is a degree of transmission in the community.
Some countries have started offering vaccines to people who have had contact with confirmed cases./VOA
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