An exterior view of the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, taken on May 20, 2021. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Junxia
The number of reported cases of monkeypox in humans has continued to rise recently in Europe. The cumulative number of monkeypox cases reported in the UK rose to 56; the number of confirmed cases of monkeypox reported in the Netherlands increased to 6; Denmark reported its first confirmed case of monkeypox on the 23rd. Some countries recommend that high-risk contacts of confirmed cases self-isolate.
The British Health and Safety Agency issued a bulletin on the 23rd that 36 more cases of monkeypox were found in England, which brought the cumulative number of confirmed cases of monkeypox in the UK since the 7th of this month to 56. The agency’s health protection team is contacting high-risk contacts of confirmed cases and recommending that those who have been assessed for risk and are currently in normal health are quarantined at home for 21 days. The agency also purchased a smallpox vaccine called Imvanex to give to close contacts of confirmed cases of monkeypox.
The UK Health Safety Authority said on the same day that a large proportion of recently detected monkeypox cases in the UK and other European countries occurred in gay and bisexual men, thus urging the group to be vigilant about the symptoms of monkeypox infection. However, the agency also noted that despite the severity and concern of the current outbreak, the risk to the UK population remains low. Generally speaking, monkeypox is a self-limiting disease and most people recover within a few weeks.
The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment said on the 23rd that the number of confirmed cases of monkeypox in the Netherlands has increased to six, all of them male, and some of the patients had previously participated in a music festival held in Belgium. The agency is asking close contacts of confirmed monkeypox cases to self-isolate.
The Netherlands found its first case of monkeypox on the 20th. The Dutch Ministry of Health has required doctors and medical institutions to report suspected cases of monkeypox to government health authorities, and both suspected and confirmed patients need to be isolated at home.
Danish health authorities confirmed on the 23rd that the country has found its first case of monkeypox infection. A man who developed symptoms after returning from a trip to Spain later tested positive for the monkeypox virus. The Danish National Serum Institute confirmed in a press release on the same day that the monkeypox virus infected person had mild symptoms and is currently in home isolation. The agency is closely coordinating with other national health departments and international health organizations to monitor the further development of monkeypox infection.
The Danish Ministry of Health issued a press release on the 23rd saying that the possibility of a large-scale outbreak of monkeypox infection is low, but the Danish Patient Safety Agency has begun to monitor monkeypox infections nationwide to be as prepared as possible and Advice for close contacts of confirmed cases.
So far, 10 European countries have reported cases of monkeypox infection, including the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark.
Outside Europe, Australia, Canada, and the United States have also recently reported confirmed cases of monkeypox. In addition, the Argentine Ministry of Health reported on the 22nd that the first suspected case of monkeypox was found in the country and has been isolated and received symptomatic treatment. The suspected case had traveled in Spain from April 28 to May 16.
Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease that occurs mostly in West and Central Africa. The World Health Organization issued a monkeypox outbreak warning on the 21st, saying that since cases have been found in many countries where the monkeypox virus is not circulating, it is possible to find more cases in these countries and other countries in the future, and the monkeypox virus will spread further.
According to the World Health Organization, monkeypox virus can be transmitted from animals to humans through close contact. The symptoms of monkeypox virus infection are similar to those of smallpox, but the clinical severity is less severe, and the incubation period is usually 6 to 13 days and may be as long as 21 days.