Geneva: More than one thousand confirmed cases of monkeypox have now been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) from 29 countries that are not endemic for the disease, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday.
According to Dr Tedros, no deaths have been reported in these countries.
"The risk of monkeypox becoming established in non-endemic countries is real. WHO is particularly concerned about the risks of this virus for vulnerable groups including children and pregnant women," Dr Tedros told a media briefing.
"But that scenario can be prevented. WHO urges affected countries to make every effort to identify all cases and contacts to control this outbreak and prevent onward spread," he told journalists.
To support countries, WHO has issued guidance on surveillance and contact tracing, and laboratory testing and diagnosis.
There are effective ways for people to protect themselves and others – people with symptoms should isolate at home and consult a health worker.
Those who share a household with an infected person should avoid close contact.
There are antivirals and vaccines approved for monkeypox, but these are in limited supply.
"WHO is developing a coordination mechanism for the distribution of supplies based on public health needs and fairness," Dr. Tedros stated.
"WHO does not recommend mass vaccination against monkeypox," he added.
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