Monkeypox Cases Cross 50,000 — WHO

The number of monkeypox cases across the world crossed 50,000-mark, said the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday. Notably, the virus transmission is slowing in the hotspot areas of Europe and the United States, reported AFP.

As per the data provided by the WHO, 50,496 people have been affected by monkeypox this year. Meanwhile, a total of 16 people also lost their lives due to the virus in 2022. In July, the UN agency declared the outbreak of monkeypox a global public health emergency.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the outbreak of the virus could be controlled as there was a decline in new infections. “In the Americas, 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,” said the WHO chief as quoted by AFP.

Ghebreyesus further added that there was also a slowing of the outbreak in some European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, which proved the effectiveness of public health interventions to prevent transmission.

Outside Africa, the surge in monkeypox cases has been reported since the end of May. The WHO chief said that political will and commitment and the implementation of public health measures are required to eliminate monkeypox.

Notably, The US has one-third of the monkeypox cases in the world. Some of the symptoms of the disease are- fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, muscle aches, rashes, lesions, backache, blisters and chills. The incubation period of the disease can range from 5 to 21 days.