The monkeypox virus, which causes a rash and other symptoms, can be transmitted through close contact between people.
Countries that are United Nations members are obligated to report cases of unusual diseases that have the potential to become global health threats. In May 2022, more than a dozen nations in Europe, the Americas, and other regions of the world that had never before had cases of monkeypox began to report cases occurring within their borders.
Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus, which is part of the same family of viruses as variola virus, the virus that causes smallpox. Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox symptoms, but milder, and rarely fatal. Monkeypox is not related to chickenpox.
In response, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the World Health Organization, convened a monkeypox emergency committee to track the evolving situation. At the committee’s first meeting on June 23, 2022, the members believed that the “multi-country outbreak” might be stabilizing as case counts had plateaued in several countries.
However, after thousands more cases of monkeypox were diagnosed in dozens of countries in July, it became clear that the outbreak had not leveled off. On July 23, 2022, Tedros declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern.
As a global health expert who specializes in infectious disease epidemiology I do not think that most people need to be worried about monkeypox. Athough it may sound ominous, this decision by the WHO is not a sign of bad things to come. Rather, it is a way to prevent monkeypox from becoming a global crisis.
Source: SciTechDaily
Published in Health, Infectious Diseases, Monkeypox, Public Health and The Conversation
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