Japan Detects 1st Confirmed Monkeypox Case

A government source announced the first confirmed case of monkeypox in Japan, according to the Kyodo news agency.

According to the agency, a patient is a 30-year-old man who resides in Tokyo.

Earlier today, the European Commission agreed to expand the use of the Danish drug group Bavarian Nordic's vaccine against monkeypox, the company announced, Monday.

“The European Commission has extended the marketing authorization for the company’s smallpox vaccine, Imvanex, to include protection from monkeypox” in line with a recommendation by the EU’s medicines watchdog, Bavarian Nordic said in a statement.

On Saturday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern after cases were detected in more than 75 countries and regions.

During a press conference, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he has decided to declare a health emergency with an international dimension against monkeypox, noting that the risk in the world is relatively moderate, with the exception of Europe, where it is considered high.

The Director-General of WHO stressed that it is possible to control the virus and stop its spread using the means available to us at the present time, noting that the virus “is of international concern.”

The declaration of a state of a health emergency came after two well-informed sources announced that a state of pision prevailed among members of a team of experts of WHO regarding this.

Monkeypox is a rare disease that is usually transmitted to humans from wild animals and is endemic to some African countries.

The virus, discovered in humans in the 1970s, is considered to be less dangerous and contagious than smallpox, which was eradicated in 1980.