Unlikely monkeypox outbreak will lead to pandemic, says WHO official

More than 300 suspected and confirmed cases of monkeypox, a usually mild illness that spreads through close contact causing flu-like symptoms and a distinctive rash, have been reported in May

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Asked whether this monkeypox outbreak has the potential to grow into a pandemic, Rosamund Lewis, technical lead for monkeypox from the WHO Health Emergencies Programme said: "We don't know but we don't think so."

Reuters London

2 min read Last Updated : May 30 2022 | 6:15 PM IST

The World Health Organization (WHO) does not believe the monkeypox outbreak outside Africa will lead to a pandemic, an official said on Monday, adding it remains unclear if infected people who are not displaying symptoms can transmit the disease.

More than 300 suspected and confirmed cases of monkeypox, a usually mild illness that spreads through close contact causing flu-like symptoms and a distinctive rash, have been reported in May, mostly in Europe.

The WHO is considering whether the outbreak should be assessed as a "potential public health emergency of international concern" or PHEIC. Such a declaration, as was done for COVID-19 and Ebola, would help accelerate research and funding to contain the disease.

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