The World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded more than 550 cases of monkeypox in 30 different countries worldwide, said the global health agency's technical lead for the illness, Rosamund Lewis, on Tuesday.
The official said that the monkeypox cases were spread across four of WHO's six regions worldwide. She added that what they were seeing now was really something different compared to previous outbreaks. This is because the spread was happening in multiple regions at the same time.
Monkeypox Outbreak
Lewis noted that cases were appearing in a relatively short period of time and that in a few days or a couple of weeks, there have already been more than 500 cases. Over the weekend, WHO gave an update that as of Thursday, it had received reports of 257 confirmed monkeypox cases and about 120 suspected cases in 23 different nations where the virus is not endemic.
The official said that WHO did not know the source of the outbreak and has called on countries to take advantage of the "window of opportunity" to keep cases from unfolding into a greater outbreak, as per CNN.
The situation comes after another 71 cases of monkeypox were confirmed in England, according to the United Kingdom's public health body. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said that the latest cases, as of May 29, brought the total number of monkeypox cases in England to 172.
Four cases were detected in Scotland, two in Northern Ireland, and one in Wales, bringing the total in the UL to 179. The updated case numbers come after the UKHSA, along with authorities from Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales, issued joint guidance to curb the spread of the illness.
According to The Guardian, the UKHSA urged people who had the virus to avoid close contact with other people until their lesions have healed and any scabs have dried. They have also been recommended to avoid contact with pets for at least three weeks. Anyone who has had contact with someone infected with monkeypox could be told to self-isolate for 21 days after a risk assessment.
Stopping the Spread
UK officials also said that people who were infected with monkeypox should abstain from sex to curb the spread of the disease. The guidance advises infected people to use condoms for at least eight weeks after the infection abates as a "precautionary" measure as public health experts try to learn more about the virus spread between humans.
The WHO said that despite the sudden outbreak, it is unlikely for monkeypox to turn into a pandemic. However, the global health agency warned that measures should still be taken quickly to stop the spread of the disease.
Lewis said in a briefing on Monday that most confirmed cases have been identified in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with other men and noted that the risk to the wider population was relatively "low."
She said that the group was those most affected by the cases at present, and the idea was to stop the further spread so it does not affect the more general population. However, she said that anyone was still at risk of contracting the virus, the Washington Post reported.
Related Article: WHO Urges Nations To Act Early To Contain Monkeypox But Advises Against Mass Vaccination
