In light of concerns about the spread of monkeypox, the World Health Organization (WHO) expressed grief over the slaughter of monkeys in Brazil on Tuesday. In less than a week, 10 monkeys in São José do Rio Preto, in the state of Sao Paulo, have been poisoned, according to a story published on Sunday by the Brazilian news website G1. Other cities reported hearing about similar instances.
“People have to know that the transmission we see now is among humans,” said Margaret Harris, a WHO spokeswoman, during a press conference in Geneva.
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According to the WHO, there are over 1,700 cases of monkeypox in Brazil. On July 29, the health ministry of the nation announced the confirmation of one disease-related fatality. The victim was a man with comorbid conditions and a weakened immune system. Animals can transmit disease to humans, but the most recent outbreak is only linked to human connections, according to Harris.
“People certainly should not attack the animals,” she said.
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Brazilian records of monkey assaults during yellow fever outbreaks are extensive. Over 29,000 cases of monkeypox have been documented since May in nearly 90 different countries. In July, the WHO declared the spread of the hitherto rare disease to be an international emergency.
In July, the WHO declared monkeypox a “public health emergency of international concern”, its highest alert level. Following the WHO’s move, the United States too declared monkeypox a public health emergency.
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Meanwhile, there is “early evidence” that the monkeypox outbreak is plateauing nationally and slowing down in spread, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). There were 2,859 confirmed and high-risk cases as of August 4ghly probable instances of monkeypox in the UK, with over 99% of the cases affecting men, according to a statement from the nation’s health authority.
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In June, British authorities advised that gay and bisexual males who were more likely to contract monkeypox should be provided with a vaccine since the viral disease had begun to spread, primarily in Europe.
(With agency inputs)
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