Monkeypox outbreak declared public health emergency by WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a public health emergency over the monkeypox outbreak, the strongest call to action by the agency.

Monkeypox is a viral infection, found typically in animals in central and western Africa, which could also cause outbreaks in humans. Although cases are occasionally identified in countries where the virus is not endemic, the latest outbreak has been unprecedented.

"We have an outbreak that has spread around the world rapidly, through new modes of transmission, about which we understand too little, and which meets the criteria in the international health regulations," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director General, said on Saturday.

"For all of these reasons, I have decided that the global monkeypox outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern."

Malta’s first monkeypox case had been registered on 28 May 2022 and the total number of cases as of 21 July stood at 17, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci recently said that the cases seen in Europe were self-limiting, with minor rashes and requiring no hospital admission.

“This is not another Covid, let’s make that clear. It’s important that precautions are taken when one has multiple sexual partners, as this leads to a potential exposure of this disease,” Gauci said.

Symptoms include fever, chills, headache swollen glands, muscle aches, back pain and low energy. This is typically followed by a rash, that breaks out within one to three days.

According to Ghebreyesus, there are 16,000 active cases in 75 countries and territories. Five people have died from the disease so far.

While countries in Europe have been hardest hit, cases have also been reported in the USA, Canada, Australia, Nigeria, Israel, Brazil and Mexico.

This is the seventh public health emergency declaration made by the WHO since 2009, with the most recent being COVID-19.

The WHO said that the outbreak was dominant amongst men who had sexual relationships with men who had recently had sex with new or multiple partners. Experts have however stated that anyone can get monkeypox, as it is spread by close or intimate contact.