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GENEVA – A senior World Health Organization official said on Friday that the priority should be to reduce monkeypox in non-endemic countries, saying that this can be achieved through swift action.
Smallpox, usually a mild viral infection, is endemic in African countries, but its spread to non-endemic countries such as Europe and the United States has raised concerns. So far, there are more than 200 confirmed or suspected states in about 20 cases in which the virus has not circulated before.
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“We believe that if we take the right action now, we can easily limit it,” said Sylvie Bryan, WHO’s director of global preparedness for infectious diseases, at a technical briefing to member states at the UN General Assembly’s annual assembly.
She emphasized the possibility of preventing further spread, urging the general public not to worry, as transmission is much slower than other viruses such as coronavirus.
WHO officials said there was currently no need for mass vaccination, but targeted vaccination, where it is available for close contact with infected people.
“Investigating cases, tracking contacts, isolation at home will be your best bet,” said Rosamund Lewis, head of the WHO Secretariat for Smallpox, which is part of the WHO emergency program. (Report by Mrinalika Roy and Emma Farge)
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