According to World Health Organization officials on Monday, the recent outbreak of monkeypox virus in North America and Europe has been spreading mainly through sex. There are currently approximately 200 cases reported across both continents.
WHO officials said the recent spike in cases is associated with homosexual men, though the virus itself is not sexually transmitted. According to their reports, however, monkeypox, which is generally found in Africa, can be contracted by anyone.
“We’ve seen a few cases in Europe over the last five years, just in travelers, but this is the first time we’re seeing cases across many countries at the same time in people who have not traveled to the endemic regions in Africa,” Dr. Rosamund Lewis, who runs WHO’s smallpox research, said in a streaming event on social media.
“We know monkeypox can spread when there is close contact with the lesions of someone who is infected, and it looks like sexual contact has now amplified that transmission,” said Heymann.
23 May 2022
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