Monkey pox: cases could accelerate in Europe, warns WHO

Europe 1 with AFP 9:47 p.m., May 20, 2022, modified at 9:48 p.m., May 20, 2022

Cases of monkeypox could accelerate in Europe, said Friday a regional official of the World Health Organization (WHO) while at least eight European countries have identified patients, including 20 in the United Kingdom.

"As we enter the summer season (...) with gatherings, festivals and parties, I fear that transmission is accelerating," said WHO director for Europe Hans Kluge.

Cases of this virus endemic to West Africa have been recorded in several Western countries since the beginning of May, in particular in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, or even Portugal, France or Sweden.

The extent of transmission is "atypical", said Hans Kluge, pointing out that "all but one recent case had not traveled to areas where monkeypox is endemic".

Most of the cases have been identified among men who have sex with men, also indicated Hans Kluge, the WHO having already indicated that it wants to shed light on the transmission of the virus within the homosexual community.

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 What we know about monkeypox, of which a first case was detected in France

Viral infection that heals itself

On Friday, the United Kingdom announced that it had registered eleven new cases of the virus, bringing the number of people infected in the country to 20.

France, Belgium and Germany have also identified their first cases.

According to the medical officer of the British Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Susan Hopkins, "this increase is expected to continue in the coming days".

She urged gay and homosexual people to be attentive to the slightest symptom.

Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills and fatigue.

Rashes can occur, often on the face, and spread to other parts of the body including the genitals, before going through different phases, crusting over and falling off.

There is no cure for monkeypox, which is spread by contact with an infected person or their body fluids, including saliva.

This viral infection heals itself.

"Most cases (in the UK) are mild"

According to the UKHSA, the virus is "not easily transmitted" between people and the risk to people in the UK is "low".

Sajid Javid, Britain's health minister on Friday, clarified on Friday that "most cases (in the UK) are mild".

And "I can confirm that we have made available more doses of effective monkeypox vaccines," he added.

With the exception of the first case – the infected person had recently traveled to Nigeria, in West Africa where this viral disease is endemic – the patients were infected in the country.