WHO warns monkeypox is increasingly infecting pregnant women and children

Jakarta: The World Health Organization or WHO says “contagion continues” monkey pox around the world could allow the virus to start moving to high-risk groups, such as pregnant womenpeople with disorders immunityday children.

The WHO also said it was investigating reports of infected children, including two cases in the UK, as well as following up on reports in Spain and France. None of the cases in children were severe. The virus has now been identified in more than 50 new countries outside of endemic countries in Africa.

Cases are also increasing in those countries, said the WHO, which is calling for increased testing.

“I’m concerned about continued transmission because it would indicate that the virus is self-sustaining and can transfer to high-risk groups including children, immunocompromised people and pregnant women,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

As the CBC website describes, continuous transmission is characterized by the World Health Organization as a disease that can be transmitted easily from one person to another in the population.

(WHO says it is investigating reports of children infected with monkeypox, including two cases in the UK, as well as following up on reports in Spain and France. Photo: Illustration/Pexels.com)

Monkeypox is usually mild, and is endemic to parts of western and central Africa. It is spread by close contact, so it is relatively easy to control through measures such as self-isolation and hygiene.

There have been more than 3,400 cases of monkeypox and one death since the outbreak began in May, mostly in Europe, according to a WHO tally. There have also been more than 1,500 cases and 66 deaths in countries this year where the disease is more common.

The WHO’s warning came days after saying the global outbreak of the virus should be closely monitored, but did not guarantee it was declared an emergency health global. The WHO’s emergency committee said many aspects of the outbreak were unusual. And acknowledges that monkeypox, which is endemic in several African countries, has been neglected for years.

“While several members expressed differing views, the Committee decided by consensus to inform the WHO director-general that at this stage the outbreak must be determined not to constitute a global health emergency,” the WHO said in a statement.

But the WHO pointed to the “emergency nature” of the outbreak and said controlling its spread required an “intense” response.

(TIN)

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