Last Saturday the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the finding of monkeypox infection cases in more than 70 countries of the world «a global state of emergency», WHO reports.
«Although I am declaring a public health emergency of international concern, for the moment this is an outbreak that is concentrated among men who have sex with men, especially those with multiple sexual partners,» WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
«That means that this is an outbreak that can be stopped with the right strategies in the right groups,» he added.
Declaration of a state of emergency is the peak warning level at WHO for threats to human health. It serves as a warning for governments to act in order to protect their residents.
Monkeypox is a rare viral infection most common in central and western African countries. Recently, however, is has been found in countries in which it was not present before.
Although symptoms of the disease are similar to smallpox, they are lighter with it comes to itching, fever and rash. Sometimes the disease appears severe.
Since May 2022 a total of 74 countries have reported more than 16 000 cases of monkeypox.
The outbreak of monkeypox has so far mainly affected men that engage in homosexual relationships.