UK health officials said on Friday that monkeypox outbreaks across the country may have peaked and the rate of spread of the epidemic is slowing. said.
The UK's Health Security Agency said in a statement that since May he had detected 2,859 cases, "an early indication that the outbreak has plateaued." There are signs,” he said. No deaths have been reported. Last month, officials estimated that the outbreak would double in size about every two weeks, but the number of new cases has declined in recent weeks.
"The latest data suggest that the spread of the outbreak has slowed, but we cannot be complacent about the status quo," said she, director of clinical and emerging diseases at the Health Security Agency. said Dr. Meera Chand. She said anyone who thinks they may have monkeypox should skip meeting friends, social gatherings, and avoid sexual contact.
The Department of Health Security stated in its latest analysis of the outbreak: . It continues to spread in interconnected sexual networks of mostly gay, bisexual, or men who have sex with other men. "More than 70% of UK cases are in London.
The Health Security Agency said the latest analysis of the outbreak states that "monkeypox is primarily transmitted in interconnected sexual networks of gay, bisexual, or men who have sex with other men." More than 70% of UK cases are in London.
This week, according to the World Health Organization, 92% of monkeypox cases Outside Africa, they are likely to have been infected through sex, and the Director-General recently appealed to vulnerable gay and bisexual men to consider reducing their sexual partners "for the time being."
To date, more than 26,000 monkeypox cases have been reported in about 90 countries, up 19% in the last week.
In June, UK authorities expanded their vaccination strategy to ensure that gay or bisexual people who are gay or bisexual, not just health care workers who are treating monkeypox patients and their high-risk contacts, are susceptible to monkeypox. Vaccines have also been offered to some men at high risk of this. This includes people who have multiple sexual partners and who participate in group sex.
Last month, the UK lowered its assessment of the monkeypox outbreak and withdrew its recommendations. Isolate contacts of monkeypox cases for 3 weeks unless they are symptomatic. The change was prompted by data showing that only a small number of contacts eventually contracted monkeypox and lack of evidence that the disease spreads without close, intimate, or sexual contact.
The United States declared the monkeypox outbreak a national emergency on Thursday, and the WHO declared it a global emergency last month .
Monkeypox is spread through close physical contact with infected areas, clothing, and bed sheets. Most people recover without needing treatment, but the lesions can be extremely painful and can lead to complications such as encephalitis and death in more severe cases.
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