On Monday, July 11 at 19:30 GMT:
Global cases of monkeypox has increased to more than 7,500 in at least 57 countries, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Historically found in West and Central Africa, the monkeypox virus is now spreading to new countries, including those outside the continent. Since the beginning of May, most new cases have been reported in Europe, the United States and especially in men who have sex with men.
Since the new cases mainly affect gay and bisexual men, health officials are concerned that social stigma will hinder efforts to track down and prevent the disease because people can less reported symptoms or discussed their sexual history.
Monkeypox is generally a mild viral infection, but it can be serious or even fatal in very young or immunocompromised people. It is transmitted by close contact and can be prevented with the vaccine also used for smallpox vaccination.
Global supplies of those vaccines are scarce, and WHO is working with manufacturers to address this. In Africa, where monkeypox is endemic in 11 countries, the continent’s top public health agency expresses hope that rich countries won’t hoard vaccinesas they did with the COVID-19 preparation.
In this episode of The Stream, we’ll look at what is being done to limit the spread of monkeypox.
