Following spikes in cases worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States have declared monkeypox a public health emergency.

The US government declaration came barely two weeks days after WHO described monkeypox as a public health emergency of international concern.

The US which has detected more than 8,900 cases as of August 9, described the declaration as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s comprehensive strategy to combat the monkeypox outbreak.

At least 31,800 confirmed cases have been reported from 90 countries and territories since the start of 2022.

In 2022, the first case was found on May 6, in the United Kingdom in a person with travel ties to Nigeria, which is where the initial cluster of cases was found. Since its discovery in Central and West Africa, monkeypox has never before spread so widely elsewhere.

The virus does not fall under the category of a sexually transmitted infection. However, a research published in the New England Journal of Medicine, indicated that sex, particularly sex between men, was the mode of transmission for 95 per cent of cases of monkeypox.

Europe has recorded the most cases among all continents. While infections continue to spiral, mortality has been very low. The disease has killed more than five globally this year.

What is Monkeypox?

Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted to humans from animals) with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe. With the eradication of smallpox in 1980 and the subsequent cessation of smallpox vaccination, Monkeypox has emerged as the most important orthopoxvirus for public health.

Monkeypox primarily occurs in central and west Africa, often in proximity to tropical rainforests, and has been increasingly appearing in urban areas. Animal hosts include a range of rodents and non-human primates.

The recent outbreak has seen eleven countries in Africa reporting cases.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.icirnigeria.org/analysis-mapping-the-spread-of-monkeypox/