LONDON, Aug. 15 (BNA) British health officials said the outbreak of monkeypox across the country was “showing signs of slowing” but it was still too early to know if that decline would continue, the Associated Press reported.
The Health Security Agency said in a statement on Monday that authorities were reporting 29 new cases of monkeypox every day, compared to about 52 cases a day during the past week in June. In July, officials estimated that the outbreak was doubling about every two weeks. To date, the UK has recorded more than 3,000 cases of monkeypox, with more than 70% of cases in London.
The agency also said more than 27,000 people have been vaccinated with a vaccine designed against smallpox, an associated disease.
“These thousands of vaccines, provided by the (National Health Service) to those most at risk of exposure, should have a significant impact on transmission of the virus,” the agency said. She said the vast majority of cases were of gay, bisexual, or gay men or who had sex with other men, and that vaccinations are a priority for them, their closest acquaintances and health workers.
Last month, Britain lowered its assessment of the outbreak of monkeypox after noticing any signs of continued transmission of monkeypox beyond the sexual networks of men who have sex with men. 99% of infections in the UK affect men.
British authorities said they had purchased 150,000 doses of vaccine from Bavaria Nordic, the world’s only supplier. The first 50,000 doses have already been rolled out or will soon be shared with clinics across the country and 100,000 vaccines are expected to be delivered in September.
Monkeypox spreads when people have close physical contact with an infected person’s pests, their clothes, or bed linen. Most people recover without needing treatment, but the lesions can be very painful and more severe cases can lead to complications including encephalitis and death.
Globally, more than 31,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported in nearly 90 countries. Last month, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global emergency and US officials classified the pandemic as a national emergency.
Outside of Africa, 98% of cases are among men who have sex with men. With a limited global supply of vaccines in place, authorities are racing to stop monkeypox before it becomes a new disease.
AOQ