WHO declares Monkeypox a global health emergency

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the current monkeypox epidemic a global health emergency.

As of July 22, there have been 16,593 confirmed infections in 68 countries that have not historically reported monkeypox. Most infections have been reported from Europe. The large majority of infections have been in male homosexuals.

Models presented to the WHO suggest the average number of people infected by a single infected person (the so-called R nought remember this from the early days of the COVID pandemic?) is between 1.4 and 1.8 in men who have sex with men, but less than 1.0 in other populations. 

In Europe, in recent weeks there has been a slowing in the rate of increase in new monkeypox cases each week. The large majority of infections are still occurring among gay men.

In the UK, 97% of cases are in men who have sex with men. Some 70% of cases were in London.

The Guardian newspaper cited an article in the New England Journal of Medicine which looked at infections across 16 countries between April and June, found that 98% of cases were in gay or bisexual men.

Monkeypox is serious: symptoms include fever, an intense headache, a rash and lesions that can be extremely painful. It can lead to hospitalisation and dangerous complications. 

No case of Monkeypox has been officially been reported in Mauritius.

With inputs from WHO, Africa CDC, The Guardian