Monkeypox outbreaks detected in N. America and Europe

MONTREAL－Health authorities in North America and Europe have detected dozens of suspected or confirmed cases of monkeypox this month, sparking concern that the disease endemic in parts of Africa is spreading.

Canada was the latest country to report it and was investigating more than a dozen suspected cases of monkeypox, after Spain and Portugal detected more than 40 possible and verified cases.

Britain has confirmed nine cases since May 6, and the United States verified its first on Wednesday, saying that a man in the eastern state of Massachusetts had tested positive for the virus after visiting Canada.

The illness, from which most people recover within several weeks and has only been fatal in rare cases, has infected thousands of people in parts of Central and West Africa in recent years, but is rare in Europe and North Africa.

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday it was coordinating with the UK and European health officials over the new outbreaks.

The first case in Britain was someone who had traveled from Nigeria, though later cases were possible through community transmission, said the UK Health Security Agency in a statement.

"These latest cases, together with reports of cases in countries across Europe, confirm our initial concerns that there could be spread of monkeypox within our communities," said UKHSA Chief Medical Adviser Susan Hopkins.

The WHO said it was also investigating the cases.

"We are seeing transmission among men having sex with men," said WHO Assistant Director-General Soce Fall at a news conference.

The UKHSA noted that monkeypox has not previously been characterized as a sexually transmitted disease, underscoring that "it can be passed on by direct contact during sex".

"Anyone, regardless of sexual orientation, can spread monkeypox through contact with body fluids, monkeypox sores, or shared items (such as clothing and bedding) that have been contaminated with fluids or sores of a person with monkeypox," said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a statement on Wednesday, adding that household disinfectants can kill the virus on surfaces.

According to the CDC, there were no reported cases of monkeypox for 40 years before it reemerged in Nigeria in 2017.

Agencies Via Xinhua