Moderate risk of contracting monkeypox in South-East Asia: WHO regional director | India News

NEW DELHI: There is moderate risk of monkeypox outbreak in WHO South-East Asia Region, WHO regional director Dr. Poonam K. Singh said on Monday.
“Monkeypox cases are being reported from multiple countries. Risk of monkeypox globally and in WHO South-East Asia Region is assessed as moderate. The WHO is regularly reviewing available data with its laboratory and other expert groups,” said Singh.

She added that the transmission of monkeypox appeared to be occurring primarily through close physical contact, including sexual contact. “Transmission can also occur from contaminated materials such as linens, bedding, electronics, clothing, that have infectious skin particles,” she said.
The regional director of the WHO South-East Asia Region said that since the start of the outbreak, the WHO had been supporting countries. “We need to stay alert and be prepared to roll out an intense response to curtail spread of monkeypox and while doing this, our efforts, measures should be sensitive, and devoid of stigma and discrimination,” said Singh.

India has so far reported four cases of monkeypox: 1 in Delhi and three in Kerala. The patient in Delhi had no record of foreign travel while the other three had recently returned from the Middle East.