AAs of May 26, there have been a total of 257 confirmed cases of monkeypox; approximately 120 suspected cases. No deaths have been reported.
Ma “The situation is evolving rapidly and WHO expects that identified cases will increase as surveillance expands in non-endemic countries, as well as in countries known to be endemic that have not reported cases recently.”
In its update, the World Health Organization also emphasizes that since May 13, monkeypox has been reported to the WHO by 23 member states that are not endemic for the virus and that "epidemiological investigations are ongoing. Meanwhile, in Italy, 2 more cases have been recorded, in Lombardy, which thus rises to 7 in the region.
This is an Italian patient visited at San Gerardo di Monza, who was discharged and returned home, where he will observe the quarantine period, and a foreign tourist staying in a hotel who, for epidemiological reasons, was admitted to the Policlinico of Milan. Both patients are in good condition and are being followed by healthcare personnel.
And after the isolation of the virus at Sacco in Milan, from the first analyses it seems that the epidemic currently underway in Europe is due to the less pathogenic virus. According to the WHO, then, “the vast majority of cases reported so far have not established travel links to an endemic area and have presented through primary care or sexual health services.”
WHO also stresses that the identification of confirmed and suspected cases of monkeypox without direct links to an endemic area “is atypical” and a case of monkeypox in a non-endemic country “is considered an outbreak”.
WHO also notes that the sudden simultaneous appearance of monkeypox in several non-endemic countries “suggests that there may have been undetected transmission for some time as well as recent events that amplified the spread of the virus.”
Finally, the World Health Organization recalls that there are three immediate actions to be taken: providing accurate information to those who may be most at risk; stopping further spread among at-risk groups; and protecting front-line health workers.
Article published on May 29, 2022 - 21:23 pm
