With cases of monkeypox being reported from the UK, WHO on Tuesday informed that the virus is under its radar.
Studies are being conducted to know how much and how fast the virus is spreading and how risky is it. The WHO further informed that the virus is spreading in sexual networks.
"Covid-19 is only one of the viruses, the WHO was looking at. Monkeypox is another equal and there are many others," said the World Health Organization.
This virus has not shown any major symptoms yet, but there has been strong evidence that it could affect people at multiple levels. WHO is still looking at the graphs of Coronavirus and monitoring the situation across the world.
American epidemiologist and WHO official Maria Van Kerkhove, while giving the information, said that there have been seven such cases that have been reported in the United Kingdom.
"We are working very closely with our regional office and other agencies to evaluate each of these cases, the source of the infection, and forward contract tracing so that there is no further human-to-human transmission," she said.
"We have tools that can save lives but we need to use them strategically. Vaccines remain a key to fighting the disease," she added.
Health agencies in the UK are ensuring that all the tests are being done to know more about monkeypox and its risk.
"People who have COVID-19 could also spread respiratory droplets onto their skin and personal belongings. A sexual partner could get the virus by touching these surfaces and then touching his or her mouth, nose or eyes. However, the risk of infection through contact with contaminated surfaces is low," the WHO said.
What is Monkeypox?
For those unversed, monkeypox is a mild infection which occurs rarely. The virus is typically found in infected wild animals in parts of Africa. The disease is similar to smallpox and thus could cause several problems on the skin.
Monkeypox can be caught from a bite by an infected animal, or by touching its blood, body fluids or fur.
(with sources inputs)
