There is no room for complacency over the monkeypox outbreak, the World Health Organization said, noting that cases in Europe had tripled in just over two weeks, with some infections identified in children.
In a statement released Friday, Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, called on governments and the public to step up efforts to prevent the spread of the disease geographically. “Urgent and coordinated action is imperative if we are to turn the corner in the race to overcome the continued spread of this disease,” he said.
According to Kluge, more than 90% of confirmed cases in the latest outbreak were in the Europe region, with cases reported in 31 countries and areas. He said confirmed cases in the region had tripled since June 15, reaching more than 4,500. Most cases for which information is available are in men who have sex with men, although some have been identified in other demographics, including children.
It was revealed last week that the outbreak would not yet be classified as a public health emergency of international concern, but Kluge said the committee involved would soon review its position. The label was used for Covid-19, which was declared a PHEIC by the WHO on 30 January 2020.
“Meanwhile, WHO continues to assess the risk of monkeypox in the European region as high,” he said.
While Kluge said there were no confirmed deaths, 10 percent were hospitalized for treatment or isolation, and one was admitted to intensive care.
“There’s just no room for complacency, especially here in the European region with its fast-growing outbreak that is expanding every hour, day and week into previously unaffected areas,” he said, adding the stigmatization of men who had sex with men in some countries compounded the challenge.
Figures from the UK’s Health Security Agency released on Friday showed there were 1,235 confirmed cases in the UK as of Thursday, up from 1,076 confirmed last Sunday.
Dr Sophia Mackie, incident director at UKHSA, urged people attending Pride events on Saturday to check for blister-like spots and rashes.
“If you have a rash or blisters, stay home, call a sexual health clinic and get tested,” she said. “Please be alert for any symptoms of monkeypox in the coming weeks, especially if you are having sex with someone new. To support our contact tracing, we encourage everyone to ensure they share contact details with sexual partners.
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