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A12 HEALTH
Wednesday 1 June 2022

WHO: Monkeypox won't turn into

pandemic, but many unknowns

lation as "low."
Monkeypox is known to
spread when there is close
physical contact with an in-
fected person, their cloth-
ing or bedsheets.
She also warned that
among the current cases,
there is a higher proportion
of people with lesions that
are more concentrated
in the genital region and
sometimes nearly impos-
sible to see.
"You may have these le-
sions for two to four weeks
This 2003 electron microscope image made available by the (and) they may not be vis-
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows mature, oval- ible to others, but you may
shaped monkeypox virions, left, and spherical immature virions,
right, obtained from a sample of human skin associated with the still be infectious," she said.
2003 prairie dog outbreak. Last week, a top adviser to
Associated Press WHO said the monkeypox
outbreak in Europe, U.S., Is-
By MARIA CHENG Lewis. rael, Australia and beyond
AP Medical Writer "At the moment, we are not was likely linked to sex at
LONDON (AP) — The World concerned about a global two recent raves in Spain
Health Organization's top pandemic," she said. "We and Belgium. That marks a
monkeypox expert said she are concerned that indi- significant departure from
doesn't expect the hun- viduals may acquire this the disease's typical pat-
dreds of cases reported to infection through high-risk tern of spread in central
date to turn into another exposure if they don't have and western Africa, where
pandemic, but acknowl- the information they need people are mainly infected
edged there are still many to protect themselves." by animals like wild rodents
unknowns about the dis- She warned that anyone and primates.
ease, including how ex- is at potential risk for the Scientists haven't yet deter-
actly it's spreading and disease, regardless of their mined whether the mon-
whether the suspension of sexual orientation. Other keypox outbreak in rich
mass smallpox immuniza- experts have pointed out countries can be traced to
tion decades ago may that it may be accidental Africa, but the disease con-
somehow be speeding its that the disease was first tinues to sicken people on
transmission. picked up in gay and bi- the continent.
In a public session on Mon- sexual men, saying it could On Monday, authorities in
day, WHO's Dr. Rosamund quickly spill over into other Congo said nine people
Lewis said it was critical to groups if it is not curbed. have died of monkeypox
emphasize that the vast Last week, WHO said 23 in 2022. Dr. Aime Alongo,
majority of cases being countries that haven't pre- chief of the Sankuru health
seen in dozens of countries viously had monkeypox division in Congo, also said
globally are in gay, bisex- have now reported more 465 cases have been con-
ual or men who have sex than 250 cases. On Mon- firmed, making it one of the
with men, so that scientists day, the U.K. announced worst-hit nations in West
can further study the issue. another 71 monkeypox and Central Africa.
She urged those at risk to cases. Nigerian authorities con-
be careful. Lewis said it's unknown firmed the country's first
"It's very important to de- whether monkeypox is be- monkeypox death this
scribe this because it ap- ing transmitted by sex or just year, in addition to six more
pears to be an increase in the close contact between cases. WHO says thousands
a mode of transmission that people engaging in sexual of cases are reported from
may have been under-rec- activity and described the Nigeria and Congo every
ognized in the past," said threat to the general popu- year.q