The number of confirmed cases of monkeypox worldwide on Monday reached 219 outside of countries where the disease is endemic, according to a report released by the European Union’s disease agency.
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A total of 19 countries where the disease is uncommon, most of them in Europe, have reported at least one confirmed case, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said in an epidemiological note released Monday evening.
“Most of the cases are young men who identify as men who have sex with men. There were no deaths, ”said the European agency based in Stockholm.
Of the 11 African countries where this rare disease is endemic, three countries are currently concentrating the highest number of confirmed cases: the United Kingdom, the first country to detect unusual cases in early May (71 cases), Spain (51) and Portugal ( 37), according to the ECDC.
Europe concentrates the most cases with 191 cases, including 118 in EU countries. Canada (15), the United States (9), Australia (2), Israel (1) and the United Arab Emirates (1) are the six non-European countries where cases are considered confirmed.
Suspected cases are not counted in the report.
The total number of cases identified by ECDC on Monday has almost quintupled since its first count on May 20, when the agency counted 38 cases.
On Monday, however, in its first risk assessment, the ECDC assessed the probability of infection in the general population as “very low”, but as “high” in people with several sexual partners.
On the same day, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed an “atypical” situation, but considered it possible to “stop” this transmission of the disease between humans.
The disease, a less dangerous cousin of smallpox, was eradicated some forty years ago and is endemic in 11 countries in West and Central Africa.
It initially causes a high fever and quickly develops into a rash with scabs.