WHO calls Emergency Meeting!
On Friday, The World Health Organization (WHO) had an emergency meeting to discuss the recent outbreak of monkey pox.
As per the information, it is a viral infection more common in west and central Africa, after over 100 cases were confirmed or suspected in Europe.
In what Germany described as the largest outbreak in Europe ever, cases have been reported in at least nine countries – Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom - as well as the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Around 24 new cases were reported in Spain on Friday and mainly in the Madrid region where the regional government closed a sauna linked to the majority of infections.
However, scientists do not expect the outbreak to evolve into a pandemic like COVID-19, given the virus does not spread as easily as SARS-COV-2.
Monkeypox is usually a mild viral illness, characterized by symptoms of fever as well as a distinctive bumpy rash.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) committee meeting to discuss the issue is the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Infectious Hazards with Pandemic and Epidemic Potential (STAG-IH), which advises on infection risks that could pose a global health threat.
It would not be responsible for deciding whether the outbreak should be declared a public health emergency of international concern, WHO's highest form of alert, which is currently applied to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now.