The World Health Organization (WHO) today sent a message of calm over the smallpox outbreak in Africa and a case detected in Europe, trying to contain alarmist information and rumours about the mode of transmission.
“MPox is not Covid (…). From what we know, mpox is mainly transmitted through contact with infected skin, including during sexual intercourse,” WHO Europe Director Hans Kluge told the international press in Geneva.
In the same spirit, he recalled that we know how to control this infectious disease and what “steps need to be taken in Europe to completely eliminate transmission.”
WHO representative Tarik Jasarevic stressed at the same press conference that the use of masks is not recommended, since infection occurs through skin contact.
The WHO has declared the smallpox outbreak in Africa a global health emergency, with cases confirmed among children and adults in more than a dozen countries and a new variant in circulation believed to be more dangerous than the one discovered in 2022.
The WHO warning stems from the rapid spread and high mortality of the new variant in Africa, as well as a case in Sweden from a traveller who had been in an area of the African continent where the virus is circulating heavily.
The variant is different from the one that caused a brutal outbreak in Africa in 2022 and hundreds of cases in Europe, North America and other countries.
The head of the WHO European office recalled that two years ago, European governments were called upon to continue efforts to completely eliminate mpox, but failed because they “lacked commitment and resources.”
Given the information about the supposed transmission of this new strain of the disease, the official acknowledged that the mode of transmission of the new variant is not entirely clear and more research is needed, and considered it possible “that someone in the acute phase of infection, and especially if you have blisters in your mouth, you can transmit the virus through airborne droplets.”
The WHO declared a smallpox outbreak in Africa a global health emergency on Wednesday, with cases confirmed among children and adults in more than a dozen countries and a new variant in circulation.
This is the second time in two years that the infectious disease has been considered a potential threat to international health: the first warning was issued in May last year, after its spread had been contained and the situation was considered under control.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Tifany Hawkins, a professional journalist with years of experience in news reporting. I currently work for a prominent news website and write articles for 24NewsReporters as an author. My primary focus is on economy-related stories, though I am also experienced in several other areas of journalism.