World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday said that the global outbreak of monkeypox is “unusual and concerning”. The health body will form an emergency committee next week to assess the rising cases being reported in 39 countries.
“I have decided to convene the Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations on Thursday next week, to assess whether this outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern,” he said.
Monkeypox is a rare infection that is mainly spread by wild animals like rodents and primates in parts of west or central Africa, according to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service.
The disease causes a mild illness and can result in symptoms such as high temperature, headache, backache and a chickenpox-like rash. The infection can spread if a person touches monkeypox skin blisters or uses clothing, bed sheets or towels of those suffering from the disease.
So far this year, more than 1,600 confirmed and almost 1,500 suspected cases of monkeypox have been reported to the World Health Organization from 39 countries. Of these, monkeypox has been detected in seven countries for years, and the remaining 32 are newly-affected countries.
“So far this year, 72 deaths have been reported from previously-affected countries,” Tedros said. “No deaths have been…
