Monkeypox, WHO assesses global emergency
Monkeypox is once again a cause for concern: Africa has declared monkeypox a public health emergency for continental security, while the WHO, the World Health Organization, is meeting today to evaluate whether to declare a global health emergency, thus putting health organizations around the world on alert.
What is worrying is the spread of a new strain, more dangerous than the one that circulated between 2022 and 2023. The virus, which causes lesions throughout the body, has registered over 14,000 cases and 511 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo alone since the beginning of the year. Numerous cases have been recorded in other African countries, including Burundi, the Central African Republic, Kenya and Rwanda.
Asked by theAdnkronosMatteo Bassetti, director of Infectious Diseases at the San Martino Polyclinic Hospital in Genoa, explains: “This is a different type of smallpox than the monkeypox that in 2022 mostly affected men who have sex with other men, so a disease that is not only transmitted through sexual intercourse – which had been contained with the effort of vaccinations and correct behavior in that age group – today in Africa it is affecting children and pregnant women”.
“Risks for Italy? There could be for imported cases related to travel, in 2024 this is a disease that goes beyond the risk categories and it becomes more difficult for public health to contain it”.
The infectious disease specialist adds: “In Italy we have a part of the population vaccinated against smallpox and a part that is not immunized. I believe that today the WHO would do well to put vaccinations against Mpox back on the future agenda – also with regard to children and Africa”.
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