"Risk of Spread from Specific Group to Community"
"US Health Authorities Reviewing Public Health Emergency"
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that monkeypox, which is primarily spreading among men who have sex with men, poses a risk of spreading through community transmission. The U.S. government is also reportedly considering declaring a public health emergency following the WHO.
On the 25th (local time), Dr. Catherine Smallwood, WHO Senior Emergency Officer (CEO), said in an interview with CNBC, "So far, new monkeypox cases have been mostly limited to men who have sex with men, but there is no evidence that the infection will remain confined to this group," adding, "It is not uncommon for a virus that initially breaks out in a specific group to spread widely to the general public."
Earlier, on the 23rd, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed similar concerns at a WHO meeting. He stated, "We know very little about this disease. A new infectious disease has emerged that is spreading worldwide through new modes of transmission," expressing his worries. Director-General Ghebreyesus also supported declaring a public health emergency for monkeypox.
To date, more than 16,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in over 70 countries worldwide. Outside of Africa, 99% of confirmed cases are male, and among them, 98% are men who have sex with men, leading to a strong perception that this is a disease affecting only homosexual men. However, monkeypox is known to be transmitted through close contact involving blood, bodily fluids, mucous membranes, and wounds, in addition to sexual contact. Respiratory transmission cases have not yet been confirmed.
The U.S. government is also reportedly considering declaring a public health emergency as a preemptive response to monkeypox. According to The Washington Post (WP), the White House and U.S. health authorities are discussing response measures to the global spread of monkeypox, including declaring an emergency and appointing a special White House coordinator to manage the response. WP quoted officials saying, "A declaration of emergency could be made as early as later this week," and that "an announcement regarding the procurement of an additional 800,000 vaccine doses will also be made."
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