WHO Expert Says Monkeypox Won’t Be Pandemic, But Many Don’t Know –

LONDON (AP) – A leading World Health Organization monkey chickenpox expert says he doesn’t expect the hundreds of cases reported so far to lead to another pandemic, but he acknowledges that many still don’t know about in the disease, including how it spreads and if it is. Stopping the widespread vaccination of chickenpox a few decades ago could speed up its transmission.

Speaking at a public hearing Monday, Dr. Rosamund Lewis of the WHO said it was important to point out that most of the reported cases in dozens of countries are gay, bisexual, or men having sex with men in order to further study it. of scientists. The problem and the population at risk must be careful.

“It’s very important to describe this, because it appears to be an increase in mode of transmission that may have been less recognized in the past,” said Lewis, WHO technical director. Monkey flowers.

However, he warns that everyone is possibly at risk for the disease, regardless of their sexual orientation. Other experts noted that it may have been coincidental that the disease was first seen in gay and bisexual men and said it spread quickly to other groups when left untreated. So far, the World Health Organization says more than 250 cases have been reported in 23 countries that have not yet had a monkey flower.

Lewis said it was not known if monkeypox was sexually transmitted if he simply called “low” the close interaction between people involved in sexual activity and a threat to the general population.

“It’s not yet known if the virus will use the new mode of transmission, but it’s clear that it will continue to use its known mode of transmission, which is close physical contact,” Lewis said. The monkey flower is known to spread during close physical contact with an infected person or on their clothing or underwear.

He also warned that in current cases there is a higher percentage of people with fewer lesions that are more concentrated in the genital area and are sometimes almost impossible to see.

“You may have these sores for two to four weeks (and) others may not see it, but you can still be contagious,” he said.

Last week, a WHO chief adviser said an outbreak was likely in Europe, the United States, Israel, Australia and beyond. Sex -related The last two raves in Spain and Belgium. This indicates a typical pattern of disease spread in Central and West Africa where humans are mainly infected with animals such as wild rats and primates and epidemics do not spread across borders.

Most monkeypox patients have fever, body aches, chills, and fatigue. People with more severe illnesses can have rashes and sores on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body. No deaths have been reported in the current outbreak.

Lewis of the WHO also said that although previous cases of monkeypox in Central and West Africa have been relatively limited, it is not clear whether people can spread monkeypox without symptoms if the disease is in the air. such as measles or COVID-19. .

The monkey flower is associated with smallpox but has milder symptoms. Since announcing the eradication of chickenpox in 1980, countries have suspended mass vaccination programs, a move that some experts believe could encourage the spread of the monkeys because immunity to related diseases is less so. widespread; Chickenpox vaccines also protect against monkeypox.

Lewis said it would be “out of luck” if monkeypox could “exploit the immunodeficiency” left by chickenpox 40 years ago, saying there is still a chance to stop the outbreak so that monkey pox doesn’t. spread to new regions. .