WHO Calls for Emergency Meeting over Monkeypox

The World Health Organization called for an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the fast outbreak of monkeypox, a new global disease that fast emerged in Europe and Africa, after more than 100 cases were detected in Europe.

Germany has described the situation as the largest outbreak in Europe ever after cases have been registered in at least eight European countries. They are Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, alongside, the US, Australia, Canada, and Israel.

German military medical authorities said: "With several confirmed cases in the United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal, this is the largest and most widespread outbreak of monkeypox ever seen in Europe."

Robert Koch Institute staff member Fabian Leendertz revealed that the outbreak of the monkeypox in Europe is an epidemic.

"It is very unlikely that this epidemic will last long. The cases can be well isolated via contact tracing and there are also drugs and effective vaccines that can be used if necessary," he explained.

There isn't a specific vaccine for the virus, however, WHO expressed that the vaccines used to restrict smallpox are effective by 85% effective against monkeypox.