The number of monkeypox cases worldwide has breached 50,000 as revealed by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday despite transmission slowing down in hotspots of Europe and the United States.
The situation also comes as the U.S. has recorded 30 positive cases in children in various states across the country. The WHO's dashboard listed 50,496 cases and 16 deaths as reported this year to the United Nations agency, which declared the outbreak a global public health emergency in July.
Monkeypox Cases Worldwide
WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said that the declines in the number of infections have proven that the outbreak could be addressed. In a press conference, the official said, "In the Americans, which accounts for more than half of reported cases, several countries continue to see increasing numbers of infections, although it is encouraging to see a sustained downward trend in Canada."
Ghebreyesus added that some European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, have also shown that they could slow down the outbreak. He noted that these countries demonstrated the effectiveness of public health interventions and community engagement to track infections and prevent transmission, as per the Hindustan Times.
The WHO chief said that the signs confirm what health officials have been saying consistently since the beginning, that with the right measures, the monkeypox outbreak can be stopped. A big jump in infection has been reported since early May among men who have sex with men, outside the African countries where it has long been endemic.
The global health agency triggered its higher level of alarm on July 24, classifying the monkeypox outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern, alongside COVID-19. Ghebreyesus noted that eliminating monkeypox needs evidence that it is possible, political will, and commitment.
According to Fox News, the situation comes as data from the Texas Department of State Health Services shows that there are nine pediatric cases in the state. The Florida Department of Health cases in kids under the age of four years, including one in Brevard County, another in Martin, and one in Monroe.
Slowing Pace of Infections
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned that preliminary evidence suggests children younger than eight could develop more severe illnesses if infected with monkeypox.
CDC data showed 18,989 monkeypox and orthopoxvirus cases across the United States and infections have been detected in all 50 states. The most cases are reported in New York and California, with 3,310 and 3,629 respectively.
A fortunate piece of data that officials have observed is that the pace of new monkeypox cases reported in some major cities and in the U.S. overall has started to slow down. However, experts said that it is still early to know if the trend would continue.
CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said on Friday that she is "cautiously optimistic" about the downward trend, but warned that the overall case count is still growing. She said, "The rate of rise is lower, but we are still seeing increases and we are of course a very diverse country and things are not even across the country. So, we're watching this with cautious optimism," CNN reported.
Related Article: US Reports Its First Monkeypox-Related Death in Texas in Immunocompromised Adult
