WHO holds emergency talks on monkeypox amid rise in infections

NEW YORK • The World Health Organisation (WHO) was set to hold an emergency meeting to discuss monkeypox yesterday, according to sources close to the United Nations agency.

The committee due to meet is the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Infectious Hazards with Pandemic and Epidemic Potential, which advises the WHO on infection risks that could pose a threat to global health.

More than 100 cases of the viral infection, which spreads through close contact and is usually mild, have recently been reported outside of countries in Africa where it is endemic.

Scientists are hunting for links between the scattered infections that have been emerging in the northern hemisphere for about two weeks now. The pathogen typically causes flu-like symptoms, followed by a rash that often starts on the face and spreads down the body. The illness often lasts for two weeks to a month.

The virus does not spread efficiently between people since direct contact with bodily fluids, infectious sores, contaminated material or large respiratory droplets is needed for transmission.

But rising infections may be a complication tied to one of the greatest human victories ever over disease, said Dr Anne Rimoin, chair of infectious diseases and public health at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"The eradication of smallpox was one of the greatest achievements in human health and public health history," she said. "But, of course, it's left the world without immunity to pox viruses. It's not surprising to see more cases occur when people are exposed."

Monkeypox is significantly less dangerous than smallpox, though it can still be fatal. The strain currently circulating is believed to kill about 1 per cent of those infected. Experts said risks to global health remains low since the virus does not spread easily and containment measures are generally effective.

"We're cautiously optimistic about risk," said Mr Jonathan Miller, an analyst at Evercore ISI in New York. "Monkeypox incubation is commonly nine to 10 days. Slower-moving infection makes a disease easier to contain and gives docs more time to respond in the course of an infection."

About a dozen outbreaks of monkeypox have been identified in Africa since the 1970s. While authorities have still not identified the reservoir where the pathogen lays in wait between flare-ups, they believe rodents and small mammals in Africa helped spread it to other animals and humans, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Australia's first case was diagnosed in a man in his 30s who had minor symptoms while visiting Britain, before he returned to Melbourne. A second was detected in a man in his 40s who developed a mild illness after returning to Sydney from Europe.

The first case in the US this year was identified in a Massachusetts man who had recently travelled to Canada, where the authorities are investigating up to 15 cases in Montreal, according to media reports.

Another possible case is being investigated in New York City, while 11 more infections have been reported in Britain, bringing the total there to 20. Other possible or confirmed cases have been reported in Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Belgium and Italy.

The UK Health Service Agency's chief medical adviser, Dr Susan Hopkins, said she expected "this increase to continue in the coming days and for more cases to be identified in the wider community".

She particularly urged gay and bisexual men to look out for symptoms, saying a "notable proportion" of cases in Britain and Europe came from this group.

The UK agency said monkeypox had not previously been described as a sexually transmitted infection. The WHO said it was also investigating the fact that many cases reported were people identifying as gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men.

BLOOMBERG, REUTERS