The World Health Organisation's top monkeypox expert said she does not expect the hundreds of cases reported to date to turn into another pandemic, but acknowledged there are still many unknowns about the disease. In a public session on Monday, WHO's Dr Rosamund Lewis said it was critical to emphasise that the vast majority of cases being seen in dozens of countries globally are in gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men, so that scientists can further study the issue and for those at risk to be careful.
"It's very important to describe this because it appears to be an increase in a mode of transmission that may have been under-recognised in the past," said Dr Lewis, WHO's technical lead on monkeypox.
"At the moment, we are not concerned about a global pandemic," she said. "We are concerned that individuals may acquire this infection through high-risk exposure if they don't have the information they need to protect themselves."
