Portugal treats 515 confirmed cases of monkeypox | Health
42 more confirmed cases of monkeypox in Portugal since last Friday. In total, there are now 515 infected in Portuguese, as indicated in the weekly report published this Thursday by the Directorate-General for Health (DGS).
In a week, in 30% of cases totaled since the beginning of the outbreak (on May 7th confirmed in the United Kingdom), Portugal continued to register increases with less changes. Spain almost doubled confirmed cases this Tuesday, reaching 2447 infected.
There are already almost 11,000 confirmed cases in countries where monkeypox (varicella or VMPX) is not usually located, most of them located in Europe – with Spain, the United Kingdom (1735) and Germany (1694) being the main highlight.
In Portugal, the cases in most cases are mostly in the region of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo, with only one woman being infected. All remaining confirmed cases are men, the majority under the age of 45.
This Tuesday, the DGS published the standard that indicates who will be vaccinated in Portugal. Na, it is defined that the third generation risk contacts will only be against the risk vaccine (VMPX which has also been shown to be effective). Portugal received 2,700 of the more than 100,000 doses contracted by the European Commission for joint purchases for member countries.
There are several types of contacts considered risky. The concept physical contact with an infected person (for example or sexual intercourse, by exposure), cohabitation, to materials contaminated by the virus. The vaccine will be different in two doses, with at least 28 days between each dose.
WHO meets next week
The World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Committee will meet again next Thursday to reassess the evolution of the VMPX outbreak and decide again on whether this outbreak represents an international public health emergency.
Since the end of June, the director-general of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, had announced the appointment of a new meeting of the Emergency Committee. This Thursday, through a press conference, he confirmed a meeting next week.
On 25 June, the committee had already discarded this statement, but now it is reviewing the decision again. The current outbreak of monkeypox can be considered an international emergency, as an emerging consequence of a symbolic nature, allowing the strengthening of the alarm and surveillance of the member states that the WHO needs.
Since the first meeting, confirmed cases in countries where the virus is not usually present have more than doubled. According to the number of emergency cases, the outbreak will be based on various cases, the severity of the epidemic, the spread of infections in the community, and the virus.
The declaration of an international public health emergency is the highest level of alert the WHO can issue. This state is defined by the WHO as an extraordinary, serious or unexpected event that has public health implications beyond a country’s borders and that may require immediate and concerted international action.
So far only six international emergencies have been declared, all after 2009: covid-19 (2020), Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (2019), zika (2016), Ebola outbreak in West Africa (2014), and pandemic of influenza with H1N1 virus (2009). As noted in previous cases, the declaration does not unlock new measures or funding, but implies the WHO’s position that this is an international outbreak, in need of cooperation across borders.