Panic spread due to increasing cases of monkeypox, more than 26 thousand people infected worldwide

More than 26,000 cases of monkeypox have been reported worldwide since May this year, forcing the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare it a public health emergency. What is unusual about the monkeypox virus is that most cases have been reported in countries where the virus is not commonly found. In addition, unlike previous viruses found mainly in Central and West Africa, this virus is not transmitted from person to person through contact with infected animals. The cases of monkeypox are increasing worldwide. There are also concerns that if immediate action is not taken, monkeypox could become an endemic disease in areas where it is not commonly found, such as the US and Europe.

Endemic diseases are generally frequently encountered diseases in a particular area that are difficult to control. There are many reasons to believe that monkeypox is quite worrying. The first reason is that this disease is spreading from human to human. Monkeypox spreads through close contact with an infected person. When an infected person coughs or sneezes, there is a possibility of the person close to him getting infected. Apart from this, there is a risk of spreading it by sharing clothes and bedding. Monkeypox is not very contagious compared to other viruses. Studies of previous viruses that have spread in Africa suggest that a person's chance of falling ill after coming into contact with an infected person is about three percent.

However, we do not yet know how contagious the current form of monkeypox is. This is a matter of concern. This is of particular concern because in 2016 during an outbreak of such a virus in Congo, it was observed that the chance of a person becoming infected after coming in contact with an infected person is 50 percent. Another concern about the monkeypox virus is that it is spreading among specific populations, mainly men who have sex with men. Of the people infected with monkeypox, 98 percent belong to this category. Apart from this, people of other gender identity can also fall prey to it.