Monkeypox, WHO: “Situation evolves, other cases expected”

The recent cases of monkeypox identified in Europe and the United States are “something everyone should be concerned about.” US President Joe Biden said this in his first public comments on the disease, responding to a question from reporters at Osan Air Base in South Korea, where he went to visit troops before taking off for Japan. on his first visit to Asia as president. “It’s a concern because if it spreads it would be significant,” Biden said, “they haven’t told me the level of exposure yet, but it’s something everyone should be worried about.” Biden added that he is working to determine which vaccine might be effective.

Meanwhile, a second suspected case of monkeypox has been recorded in Israel. This was announced by the ministry of health which is investigating this eventuality. The first suspected case discovered in the country was already disclosed last Friday. As in the first, this second event concerns a man arriving in Israel from Western Europe who is currently hospitalized and in solitary confinement at Ashkelon’s Barzilai hospital. In all, the WHO explains, there are 92 cases in 12 countries, in addition to another 28 “suspects”.

The situation “is evolving,” WHO explains, which predicts “that there will be more cases of monkeypox identified as surveillance expands in non-endemic countries.” Immediate actions, the World Health Organization explains in a statement, “focus on informing those who may be most at risk of infection with accurate information, in order to stop further spread. Current available evidence suggests that those who are most at risk are those who have had close physical contact with someone with monkeypox while they are symptomatic. ‘