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Post: Infectious disease experts urge WHO to act quickly to contain monkey flower

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Some of the leading experts in the field of infectious diseases are calling on global health officials to take faster action to contain the growing monkey outbreak that has spread to at least 20 countries.

Experts say governments and the World Health Organization must not repeat the misconduct that took place at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to delays in detecting cases that contributed to the spread of the virus.

While monkeypox isn’t as contagious or dangerous as COVID-19, these scientists say clearer instructions on how to isolate an infected person, clearer advice on how to protect people at risk, and better testing and monitoring are needed.

“If it becomes an epidemic (in more countries), we will have another serious illness and we will have to make a lot of difficult decisions,” said Isabel Eckerl, a professor at the Center for Viral Diseases in Geneva, Switzerland.

An official told Reuters the World Health Organization was studying whether the explosion should be assessed as a possible public health emergency of international concern. The World Health Organization’s decision to declare the disease a global health emergency, like the coronavirus or Ebola, will help accelerate research and funding to stop it.

However, experts say the organization is unlikely to make such a decision anytime soon, as the monkey flower is a known threat against which the world has tools.

More than 300 confirmed or suspected cases of monkeypox, usually a mild disease transmitted by close contact with an infected person and causing flu-like symptoms and characteristic rashes, have been reported this month.

Most cases have been reported in Europe and not in West and Central African countries where the virus is endemic. No deaths have been reported during the current epidemic.

However, global health authorities are concerned about the increasing prevalence of the disease in non-endemic countries. The World Health Organization said it expects these numbers to increase with increased oversight.

On Friday, the organization reiterated that the monkey virus contained measures, including rapid case detection, isolation and contact tracing.

Advice for those infected and, in some cases, those who come in contact with them, includes isolation for 21 days, but it is not known how people will fare during this long period away from work or other responsibilities.

Mass vaccination is not required, but some countries, including Britain and France, offer vaccines to healthcare workers and close contacts.

Source: EuroNews

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