WHO: monkeypox has already reached 42 countries and there are 2,103 confirmed cases

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported this Friday that, as of June 15, a total of 2,103 laboratory confirmed cases of monkeypox and one probable case, including a death in Nigeria, have been reported in 42 states. members from five regions of the WHO.

The WHO has assessed the global risk as moderate, taking into account that this is the first time that many cases and clusters of monkey pox simultaneously in many countries across widely disparate WHO geographic areas, and bearing in mind that mortality has remained low in the current outbreak.

These figures represent a increase of 818 confirmed cases by laboratory since the previous report, published on June 10, when 1,285 cases were reported.

In this edition, the health organization has eliminated the distinction between endemic and non-endemic countries, with the aim of reporting on the countries together and reflecting the unified response that is needed.

Of the cases reported in these regions, most of them have occurred in the WHO European Region (84%), with 1,773 cases, and the Region of the Americas (12%) with 245 cases. For its part, the African Region (3%) and 64 cases; the Eastern Mediterranean Region with 14 cases and the Western Pacific Region, with 6 diagnosed cases.

Case count fluctuates as more information becomes available and data is verified under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005).

The disease, according to the WHO, continues to affect mainly men who have sex with men and who have declared having sexual intercourse recently with new or multiple partners.

To date, the clinical presentation of monkeypox cases associated with this outbreak has been variable. Many cases in this outbreak do not present with the clinical picture classically described for this type of smallpox (feverswollen lymph nodes, followed by an evolving centrifugal eruption).

The features described atypical include: presentation of only a few or even a single lesion; lesions that start in the genital or perineal/perianal area and do not spread further; lesions appearing at different (asynchronous) stages of development; and the appearance of lesions before the appearance of fever, malaise and other symptom constitutional. The modes of transmission during sexual contact remain unknown.