# Monkeypox emergency could last months, with window closing to stop spread, experts say
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2022-07-27
Category: NEWS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news
Meta Title: Monkeypox Outbreak: Experts Warn Spread Is Accelerating
Meta Description: Get the latest on the monkeypox outbreak in the UK. Experts predict cases to double every two weeks, with vaccination and urgent action needed to curb
URL: https://financedigest.com/monkeypox-emergency-could-last-months-with-window-closing-to-stop-spread-experts-sayhtml

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(Clarifies that number given for at-risk population refers to UK only)

By Jennifer Rigby

LONDON (Reuters) -Scientists advising the World Health Organization (WHO) on monkeypox say the window is closing to stop its spread, with cases currently doubling every two weeks, raising concerns that it will take several months for the outbreak to peak.

WHO [Europe has forecast just over 27,000 monkeypox cases](https://www.financedigest.com/russian-covid-cases-hit-record-high-as-eastern-europe-imposes-new-curbs.html "Russian COVID cases hit record high as eastern Europe imposes new curbs") in 88 countries by Aug. 2, up from 17,800 cases in nearly 70 countries at the latest count.

Making [predictions beyond](https://www.financedigest.com/cybersecurity-predictions-to-watch-in-2023-and-beyond.html "Cybersecurity Predictions to Watch in 2023 and Beyond") that are complex, scientists around the world told Reuters, but there is likely to be sustained transmission for several months and possibly longer, they said.

We have to get in front of this,” said Anne Rimoin, an epidemiology professor at the University of California, [Los Angeles](https://www.financedigest.com/patsnap-circumnavigates-northern-hemisphere-with-launch-of-los-angeles-office.html "PatSnap circumnavigates northern hemisphere with launch of Los Angeles office").

It’s clear the window of opportunity for doing so is closing,” added Rimoin, a member of the WHO expert committee on monkeypox that met last [week to determine whether the outbreak constituted a global](https://www.financedigest.com/rate-rise-fears-prompt-third-week-of-global-equity-funds-outflows.html "Rate rise fears prompt third week of global equity funds outflows") health emergency.

A majority of committee members voted against the move and, in an unprecedented step, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared an emergency anyway.

Action stemming from that declaration needs to be urgent, including increased vaccination, testing, isolation for those infected and contact tracing, [global health experts](https://www.financedigest.com/will-global-commodities-suffer-as-a-result-of-brexit-the-experts-at-easymarkets-think-not.html "WILL GLOBAL COMMODITIES SUFFER AS A RESULT OF BREXIT? THE EXPERTS AT EASYMARKETS THINK NOT!") said.

Transmission is clearly unchecked,” said Antoine Flahault, director of the Institute of Global Health at the University of Geneva, who chairs the WHO Europe [advisory group](https://www.financedigest.com/aon-announces-agreement-to-acquire-risk-management-firm-creating-a-comprehensive-cyber-risk-management-advisory-group.html "Aon announces agreement to acquire risk management firm, creating a comprehensive cyber risk management advisory group").Jimmy Whitworth, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said he expected that cases would not plateau for at least the [next four-to-six months](https://www.financedigest.com/ferry-industry-celebrates-fifth-successive-year-of-growth-for-car-travel-by-sea-and-four-new-ships-launching-in-next-twelve-months.html "Ferry industry celebrates fifth successive year of growth for car travel by sea And four new ships launching in next twelve months"), or until the those at highest risk of infection have been either vaccinated or infected. Sexual health [organizations recently estimated that could be around](https://www.financedigest.com/the-medical-ultrasound-equipment-market-to-stick-around-based-on-organic-expansion.html "The Medical Ultrasound Equipment Market to stick around based on organic expansion") 125,000 people in the UK.

Monkeypox has been a [globally neglected public health](https://www.financedigest.com/bill-gates-south-korea-expand-global-health-partnership.html "Bill Gates, South Korea expand global health partnership") problem in parts of Africa for decades, but cases began to be reported outside countries where it is endemic in May.

It generally causes [mild to moderate symptoms](https://www.financedigest.com/biden-tests-positive-for-covid-has-mild-symptoms-taking-paxlovid-treatment.html "Biden tests positive for COVID, has mild symptoms, taking Paxlovid treatment"), including fever, fatigue and the hallmark painful skin lesions, that resolve within a few weeks. Five people have died in the current outbreak, all of them in Africa.

Beyond Africa, monkeypox is spreading chiefly in men who have sex with men, [putting sexual health](https://www.financedigest.com/putting-family-first-as-uk-grapples-mental-health-crisis.html "Putting family first as UK grapples ‘mental health crisis’") clinics on alert for new cases. \[L1N2Z60JR\]

“I remember clearly … saying that ‘I think I’m going to die,’ because I can’t eat, I can’t drink. I can’t even swallow my own spit,” said Harun Tulunay, 35, a sexual health advocate who was hospitalized with monkeypox in London earlier this [month but has since](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-factories-suffer-worst-month-since-may-2020-as-economy-stumbles-pmi.html "UK factories suffer worst month since May 2020 as economy stumbles – PMI") recovered.

‘SUSTAINED TRANSMISSION’

While monkeypox is not [causing large numbers of deaths globally](https://www.financedigest.com/flood-most-damaging-peril-of-2016-causing-nearly-one-third-of-210bn-global-economic-losses-according-to-aon-catastrophe-report.html "Flood most damaging peril of 2016, causing nearly one-third of 0bn global economic losses – according to Aon catastrophe report"), an unpleasant virus establishing itself in new populations is still bad news, scientists said.

Flahault’s group has [modeled three scenarios for the coming](https://www.financedigest.com/like-father-like-son-when-it-comes-to-money-men-more-likely-than-women-to-see-parents-as-a-good-role-model.html "Like father like son? When it comes to money, men more likely than women to see parents as a good role model") months, all of which include “sustained transmission,” either between men who have sex with men; beyond these groups and possibly into more vulnerable populations, like children, or between humans and animals.

The latter scenario risks the establishment of a monkeypox reservoir in animals in new countries, as it has in parts of west and central Africa, said Flahault.

Ongoing transmission could also lead to mutations that make the virus more efficient at spreading in humans, scientists said.

On Tuesday, German scientists [released a study](https://www.financedigest.com/national-cinemedia-releases-first-cinema-attention-measurement-study-conducted-by-lumen-in-collaboration-with-dentsu.html "National CineMedia releases first cinema attention measurement study, conducted by Lumen in collaboration with dentsu") https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.23.501239v1.full.pdf ahead of peer review that found mutations in one of the 47 cases they sequenced that could help monkeypox spread in people more easily.

“The alarm bell was going off (in Africa) but we kept hitting the snooze button. Now it’s time to wake up and do something about it,” Rimoin said. “An infection anywhere is potentially an infection everywhere.”

(Reporting by Jennifer Rigby and Natalie Grover; Additional reporting by Natalie Thomas in London; Editing by Michele Gershberg, Bill Berkrot and Frank Jack Daniel)


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