The World Health Organization (WHO) assured this Monday that it currently does not fear that the spread of the monkeypox virus, beyond African countries, could cause a global pandemic.
Asked at a press conference about the possibility of such a pandemic, the WHO’s leading monkeypox expert, Rosamund Lewis, replied: “It is still possible to stop this epidemic before it spreads.”
Since Great Britain first reported a confirmed case of monkeypox on May 7, the WHO has been informed of about 12 cases in twenty countries not usually affected by this virus.
Smallpox should not be cause for panic
The WHO said it was concerned about this “unusual situation”, but reiterated that there is no reason for panic.
Monkeypox is related to smallpox, which killed millions of people around the world each year before be eradicated in 1980.
But monkeypox is much less serious and most people who get it recover in 3 or 4 weeks.
Early symptoms include a high fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a chickenpox-like rash.
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