Africa-Press – Botswana. The number of infections by the Monkeypox virus around the world increased by 20% in the last week, in which 7,500 new cases were recorded, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced yesterday.
According to the balance made yesterday by the WHO, at a press conference, the total number of infections since the beginning of the outbreak exceeds 35,000 and the disease has caused 12 deaths.
With cases registered in 92 countries, the virus circulates almost exclusively in Europe and America and almost all contagions are identified in men who have sex with men, but the WHO underlined the importance of protecting everyone who lives with people from the virus. infected.
Regarding a report released last Tuesday, which reports a possible first case of transmission of the infection from a human to a dog, in Paris, France, the WHO said that it was informed of the case, pointing out that it was not this is an unexpected situation, since domestic animals usually live in a closed environment and in close proximity to the infected person, like other family members.
The head of Health Emergencies at the WHO considered that the risk in this situation is mainly related to the possibility of the virus installing itself in a new species and evolving, which can change the way the virus works or the immune response it causes.
“We must not allow the virus to establish itself in another animal population, we must take all precautions”, underlined Mike Ryan.
At the same press conference, WHO smallpox expert Rosamund Lewis explained that there are several ways for people to protect themselves in a family context, including isolating the sick, maintaining good hygiene and handling waste with care. Vaccination is another option, but demand currently outstrips supply.
Regarding the vaccine, the director-general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, admitted concern about the potential risk of a new situation of unequal access, to the detriment of the poorest countries, as happened during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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