WHO: Monkeypox won’t turn into pandemic, but many unknowns

LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization's top monkeypox expert said she doesn't expect the hundreds of cases reported to date to turn into another pandemic, but acknowledged there are still many unknowns about the disease, including how exactly it's spreading and whether the suspension of mass smallpox immunisation decades ago may somehow be speeding its transmission.

In a public session on Monday, WHO's Dr Rosamund Lewis said it was critical to emphasise that the vast majority of cases being seen in dozens of countries globally are in gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men, so that scientists can further study the issue and for those at risk to be careful.

“It's very important to describe this because it appears to be an increase in a mode of transmission that may have been under-recognised in the past,” said Lewis, WHO's technical lead on monkeypox.

“At the moment, we are not concerned about a global pandemic,” she said.

“We are concerned that individuals may acquire this infection through high-risk exposure if they don't have the information they need to protect themselves.”

She warned that anyone is at potential risk of the disease, regardless of their sexual orientation.

Other experts have pointed out that it may be accidental that the disease was first picked up in gay and bisexual men, saying it could quickly spill over into other groups if it is not curbed.

To date, WHO said 23 countries that haven't previously had monkeypox have now reported more than 250 cases.

Lewis said it's unknown whether monkeypox is being transmitted by sex or just the close contact between people engaging in sexual activity and described the threat to the general population as “low.” Monkeypox is known to spread when there is close physical contact with an infected person or their clothing or bedsheets.

Last week, a top adviser to WHO said the outbreak in Europe, United States, Israel, Australia and beyond was likely linked to sex at two recent raves in Spain and Belgium.

That marks a significant departure from the disease's typical pattern of spread in central and western Africa, where people are mainly infected by animals like wild rodents and primates, and epidemics haven't crossed borders.

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