Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Not yet finished with the Covid-19 case, the world was hit by a new disease, although not too new, namely monkeypox. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently predicted that cases of monkeypox would be getting crazier and found in many countries.
WHO said as of Saturday, there were 92 confirmed cases and 28 suspected cases of monkeypox had been reported from 12 countries where the virus is not endemic. In the future, WHO will provide further guidance and recommendations to a number of countries to reduce the spread of monkeypox.
“Available information indicates that human-to-human transmission occurs among people who have close physical contact with symptomatic cases,” the agency added.
Monkeypox or monkeypox is an infectious disease that is usually mild and endemic in western and central Africa. The disease is spread through close contact, so it is controlled through measures such as self-isolation and hygiene.
“What appears to be happening now is that monkeypox has entered the population and spread like a sexually transmitted infection, which has amplified its transmission worldwide,” WHO official David Heymann, an infectious disease specialist, said.
Heymann said an international committee of experts had met via videoconference to see what needed to be learned about the outbreak and how experts could communicate it to the public, including whether there was asymptomatic spread, who was most at risk, and the various routes of transmission.
He said the meeting was held “because of the urgency of the situation”. The Committee is not the group that would suggest declaring a public health emergency of international concern, the WHO’s highest form of vigilance, as applies to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said close contact was the main route of transmission, as the typical lesions of the disease are highly contagious. For example, parents caring for sick children are at risk, as are healthcare workers, which is why some countries have started isolating teams treating monkeypox patients using the smallpox vaccine, a related virus.
“There are vaccines available, but the most important message is, you can protect yourself,” he added.
Next article
RI alert! Monkeypox Virus Has Arrived in Neighboring Countries
–
–
(hsy / hsy)
–
