WHO: Monkeypox Poses “Moderate Risk” to Public Health

By Staff, Agencies

The World Health Organization [WHO] said Sunday that monkeypox presents a “moderate risk” to the global public health after cases were reported in non-endemic countries.

However, the risk could increase “if this virus exploits the opportunity to establish itself as a human pathogen and spreads to groups at higher risk of severe disease," the WHO noted.

As of May 26, a total of 257 confirmed cases and 120 suspected cases were reported from 23-member states where the disease is not typically found.

"The vast majority of reported cases so far have no established travel links to an endemic area and have presented through primary care or … health services," the UN agency said.

Monkeypox is an infectious disease that spreads by close contact and is usually mild and endemic in parts of west and central Africa.

Most of the cases reported recently were detected in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Portugal.

On Sunday, Nigeria confirmed 21 cases of monkeypox and one death of a 40-year-old man since the start of 2022.

“There has been no evidence of any new or unusual transmission of the virus, nor changes in its clinical manifestation” including symptoms, profile, and virulence, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control said.

Last week, Israel confirmed its first case of the disease in a man who recently returned from western Europe, and reported its second case on Saturday