Brazil Reports Death From Monkeypox, First Outside Africa

There have been more than 18,000 reported cases of monkeypox globally from 78 countries, with the majority in Europe, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday (July 27).

Quoted from the Channel News Asia page, Thursday (28/7/2022), WHO declared the outbreak a global health emergency on Saturday.

So far, 98 percent of cases outside of countries in Africa where the virus is endemic have been reported in men who have sex with men, the WHO said.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged the group to consider reducing the number of new sexual partners and exchanging contact details with new partners.

“This is an outbreak that can be stopped … The best way to do that is to reduce the risk of exposure,” Tedros told a news conference from Geneva.

“That means making safe choices for yourself and others.”

Monkeypox is in the process of changing its name, to avoid it being “armed” or used in a racist way, said WHO emergency director Mike Ryan.

The UN agency recommends vaccination for high-risk groups, including health workers, and men who have sex with men with multiple sexual partners.

It warns that it can take several weeks after getting a second dose of vaccine to be fully protected, so people should take other precautions until then.

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