The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed 780 monkeypox cases between May 13 to June 2 this year from 27 Member States across the four WHO regions that are not endemic to the monkeypox virus. An epidemiological investigation is still ongoing, and most cases have been presented through sexual health facilities involving men having sex with men (MSM).
But as the month ends, new cases are reported worldwide. France has now reached over 300 people with confirmed monkeypox cases. As of June 24, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded a total of 4,106 monkeypox cases in 47 different countries.
A reactive to test suspected monkeypox samples is seen inside a fridge at the microbiology laboratory of La Paz Hospital on June 06, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. Europe is at the center of the monkeypox virus outbreak, the World Health Organization reported 780 confirmed cases with Britain, Spain and Portugal reporting the largest numbers of patients.
Monkeypox Cases in France
The monkeypox virus is once again causing panic in the world since its discovery in 1958. The infection is characterized by a high fever, muscle pain, and rashes appearing all over the body. Based on CDC's report, the top five countries with the most number of cases are all in Europe.
The UK comes first, followed by Spain, Germany, Portugal, and France. According to a report from The Saxon, France has just recently confirmed a total of 330 cases.
The first case in France reported was of a child who showed no signs of serious illness. The Regional Health Agency (ARS) Île-de-France has confirmed the first case in the country and has taken specific measures to inform parents of children who may have come into close contact with the infected child.
France has released a detailed distribution of cases observed in the country, wherein Île-de-France got 227 cases, 22 cases in Occitanie, 21 cases in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, 19 cases in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, 14 cases in Hauts-de-France, 14 cases in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, six cases in Normandy, three cases in Brittany, and one case each in Centre-Val de Loire , Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Pays de la Loire, and Grand-Est.
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Urgent Coordination is Needed
Due to the rising number of monkeypox cases worldwide, WHO calls on countries to be more vigilant. In a Twitter post, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that there is a need for urgent coordination with countries to help stop the transmission of the virus.
He added in a separate post that despite its increasing numbers, experts advised that it does not constitute "a Public Health Emergency of International Concern."
For now, there are vaccines and treatments available for monkeypox, even if it is not as contagious as COVID-19. Despite that, the monkeypox virus has raised concerns in several countries. The virus has already killed about 10% of infected people in Africa but none outside the continent.
According to a report from DW, leading African scientists have pointed out in the past that monkeypox has been a crisis in the continent for so many years, and yet it is only now that WHO has called their experts when the disease has spread to Europe.
Nigerian virologist Oyewale Tomori said that WHO could have convened their emergency committee years ago when it emerged in 2017 when no one knew why there was a sudden rise in cases. The monkeypox virus has become endemic to many parts of Africa, with over a thousand suspected cases this year, including those fatal ones.
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