Over 50,000 instances of monkeypox have been recorded worldwide because the onset of the illness, declares the World Well being Group

Greater than 50,000 instances of monkeypox have been recorded because the outbreak started in Could, primarily affecting North America and Europe, the World Well being Group (WHO) stated. Based on the group’s dashboard that lists all confirmed instances, there have been 50,496 instances and 16 deaths as of August 31. In the US as in Europe, the variety of infections appears to be slowing down.

“These indicators affirm what we’ve got stated time and time once more from the beginning: with the appropriate measures, this outbreak will be stopped,” WHO Director-Common Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated at a press convention on Wednesday. He famous that a number of international locations on the American continent had been nonetheless seeing the variety of instances improve however was happy “to see a seamless downward development in Canada”. US well being authorities additionally reported a slight slowdown on Wednesday.

In Europe, Dr. Tedros highlighted the great outcomes obtained in Germany and the Netherlands. Exterior Africa, the place the illness is endemic in various international locations, the illness primarily impacts males who’ve intercourse with males.

To eradicate the circulation of the virus, the WHO recommends sustaining surveillance measures, focused vaccination, identification of contact instances and engagement with males who’ve intercourse with males, recommending particularly to restrict the variety of sexual companions. Monkey pox just isn’t at the moment thought-about a sexually transmitted illness and anybody can contract it. Direct skin-to-skin contact but additionally contaminated sheets or clothes are vectors of transmission of the illness.