Global health leaders say more than 20,000 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed across 71 countries where the virus isn’t historically found.
The European Union had recorded 11,000 cases as of Thursday, including more than 3,700 cases in Spain and nearly 2,500 in Germany. The United Kingdom has documented around 2,500 cases as of Friday, while the U.S. total is up to 4,900.
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The World Health Organization declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern last week. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the virus’s spread poses a moderate risk globally and a high risk in Europe.
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Additionally, the Associated Press provided the following information in regard to the spread of the disease and the symptoms reported.
Officials say people can catch monkeypox from touching items that previously touched an infected person’s rash or body fluids, such as towels or bedsheets. That is thought to explain the infections in children.
Scientists believe the primary route of transmission during the current outbreak has been skin-to-skin contact during sexual encounters with someone who has symptoms. In that respect, it’s similar to herpes, some experts noted.
The virus also may spread through saliva and respiratory droplets during prolonged, face-to-face contact, such as during kissing and cuddling — a kind of spread that can occur outside of sex.
Researchers are exploring how often, and in what situations, that kind of spread might happen, said Christopher Mores, a professor of global health at George Washington University.
“We would do ourselves a disservice to try and exclude anything from the realm of possibility at this point,” he said.
According to the Center For Disease Control, these are the symptoms to look out for if you’re concerned about contracting the virus.
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle aches and backache
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Chills
- Exhaustion
- Respiratory symptoms (e.g. sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough)
- A rash that may be located on or near the genitals but could also be on other areas like the hands, feet, chest, face, or mouth. The rash will go through several stages, including scabs, before healing. The rash can look like pimples or blisters and may be painful or itchy.
You may experience all or only a few symptoms
- Sometimes, people get a rash first, followed by other symptoms. Others only experience a rash.
- Most people with monkeypox will get a rash.
- Some people have developed a rash before (or without) other symptoms.
Monkeypox symptoms usually start within three weeks of initial exposure to the virus.
If someone has flu-like symptoms, they will usually develop a rash 1-4 days later.
Monkeypox can be spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has healed, all scabs have fallen off, and a fresh layer of skin has formed. The illness typically lasts 2-4 weeks.