The latest World Health Organization update confirms 131 worldwide cases of monkeypox, and 106 other suspected cases of the virus — covering 19 countries.
The WHO characterizes this level of outbreak as unusual, but also "containable," adding the U.N. health agency would soon conduct more informational meetings on how to tackle infections.
Tuesday's "131" update coincides with a published report from last Friday, alluding to the 80 confirmed cases of monkeypox, and roughly 50 "presumptive" cases still requiring the documentation of a national body, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Over the weekend, Belgium became the first country to quarantine its residents due to monkeypox-transmission concerns, requiring those infected to isolate for 21 days.
Slovenia reported its first case Tuesday — with the traveler in question reportedly coming from the Canary Islands in Spain (source: Slovenian N1 television).
The man was reportedly not admitted to the hospital, though, due to his form of monkeypox being "mild" in nature.
Unlike the smooth transmission of a coronavirus droplet moving from person to person, monkeypox does not spread easily between humans.
While speaking from Tokyo on Monday, President Joe Biden said that monkeypox quarantining in the United States didn't make logistical sense right now.
Instead, the president pointed to the readily available vaccines used for combating flare-ups of monkeypox, along with the low numbers of monkeypox infections in the U.S. and worldwide.
"I just don't think it rises to the level of the kind of concern that existed with [the COVID-19 pandemic]; and the smallpox vaccine works for it," Biden said after a meeting with Fumio Kishida, the Japanese prime minister.
According to The Hill, CDC studies suggest the smallpox vaccine is at least 85% effective against monkeypox.
The United Kingdom appears to be the hardest hit by monkeypox infections at this point.
A total of 56 monkeypox cases have been detected in the U.K., and medical experts are anticipating a "significant rise" in infections later this week.
Dr. Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the U.K. Health Security Agency, says: "Alongside reports of further cases being identified in other countries globally, we continue to identify additional cases in the U.K. We are urging everyone to be aware of any unusual rashes or lesions, and to contact a sexual health service if they have any symptoms."
Citing a CNBC report, the CDC warns of monkeypox cases predominantly occurring among individuals who self-identify as gay or bisexual, or men who have sex with other men.
Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, and the characteristic rash that covers the face and body.
The UKHSA recommends a self-isolation period of 21 days for those at a high risk of contracting monkeypox.
This isolation includes no travel, monitoring contact tracing points, and avoiding direct contact with immuno-suppressed people, pregnant women, and children under 12.
The UKHSA also recommends the smallpox vaccine for "presumptive" monkeypox patients.
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