Monkeypox, a viral infection that causes mild symptoms, is endemic in African countries, but its spread to Europe and the United States raises concerns, and there are, so far, more than 200 confirmed and suspected infections, about 20 of them in areas where the virus has not appeared before.
“We believe that if we take the right measures now we can easily contain it,” Sylvie Briand, director of WHO’s Department of Infectious Risk Preparedness, said in a briefing to member states at the United Nations’ annual assembly.
She stressed that there is a window of opportunity to prevent the spread, and urged the general public to avoid concern because transmission of infection is much slower than other viruses such as the Corona virus.
WHO officials said that there is no need for mass vaccination at the present time, but the real need is to vaccinate contacts of infected people wherever available.
“The best options are to test cases, trace contacts, and isolate at home,” said Rosamund Lewis, head of the Smallpox Secretariat of the WHO’s emergency program.
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