‘Urgent’ Action Needed in Europe Over Monkeypox Spread [* AC Friendly *]
upstart writes:
'Urgent' action needed in Europe over monkeypox spread: WHO:
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for 'urgent' action to prevent the spread of monkeypox in Europe, noting that cases had tripled there over the past two weeks.
To date, more than 5,000 monkeypox cases have been reported from 51 countries worldwide, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Infections in Europe represent about 90 percent of the global total of cases, and 31 countries in the European region have now identified cases, WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr Hans Henri Kluge said on Friday.
"Today, I am intensifying my call for governments and civil society to scale up efforts ... to prevent monkeypox from establishing itself across a growing geographical area," Kluge said in a statement.
[...] Kluge also said in his statement that there are no reported deaths from the current outbreak so far.
[...] The UN agency estimates that the disease can be fatal, but smallpox vaccines are protective and some antiviral drugs are also being developed.
To date, there have been about 1,800 suspected monkeypox cases including more than 70 deaths in Africa. Vaccines have never been used to stop monkeypox outbreaks in Africa. The WHO's Africa office said this week that countries with vaccine supplies "are mainly reserving them for their own populations".
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