LONDON: As cases of monkeypox in wealthier Western nations spark a flurry of scientific research to combat the outbreak, scientists are urging the world to make sure lower-income nations benefit from the fruits of that labour as well.
More than 550 confirmed cases of monkeypox have been reported by at least 30 countries outside of Africa, where the virus is typically found, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Scientists are flummoxed as to what is driving the current crop of cases - mostly identified in Europe so far - given they are predominantly not linked to travel to Africa.
Countries in Africa have experienced sporadic monkeypox outbreaks since the virus was first discovered in humans in 1970.
In Nigeria, there has been an ongoing outbreak since 2017, which so far has resulted in 600 suspected and nearly 250 confirmed cases, Ifedayo Adetifa, the director general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said at a monkeypox briefing convened by the WHO on Thursday.
The biopharmaceutical industry has in recent weeks made commitments deliver vaccines, treatments and develop more diagnostics to address monkeypox as the viral disease spreads in many parts of the developed world.
"We do have to recognize that this is not a new disease - this is not something that we just learned existed in the world," said Daniel Bausch, senior director, emerging threats and global health security at FIND, the global alliance for diagnostics.
"We have all this biotech interest now because this is happening in high income countries. But how do we make sure that...those scientific gains really get down to the populations that need this more consistently in sub Saharan Africa?" he asked.
The commentary comes as concern grows about pathogens that typically circulate in animals spilling into humans.
Animals and humans are changing their behaviour, including food-seeking habits to adjust to rapidly changing weather conditions linked to climate change, the WHO warned on Wednesday.
This suggests that pathogens that were once generally limited to certain geographies are more likely to spread further, and potentially jump back and forth between humans and susceptible animal species.
On Thursday, some health experts raised concerns monkeypox and other infectious diseases could be transmitted to animals via human medical waste.
They cautioned that constant vigilance and global cooperation was imperative to thwarting the current monkeypox outbreak.
It is important to limit the number of spillover events, said William Karesh, president of the World Organization for Animal Health working group on wildlife.
"If we only focus on treatments," he said, "we will probably be meeting again in two years time about a new disease."
Reuters
Fri Jun 03 2022
Countries in Africa have experienced sporadic monkeypox outbreaks since the virus was first discovered in humans in 1970. - REUTERS
AWANI Ringkas: Pembentangan Belanjawan 2025
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
#AWANIRingkas 18 Oktober 2024 | 9 PM
Berikut merupakan rangkuman berita setakat 9 malam, 18 Oktober 2024
1️⃣ Pembentangan Belanjawan 2025
2️⃣ Sektor pendidikan
3️⃣ Sektor kesihatan
#awaniringkas
1️⃣ Pembentangan Belanjawan 2025
2️⃣ Sektor pendidikan
3️⃣ Sektor kesihatan
#awaniringkas
Belanjawan 2025: Peruntukan AI dinaikkan sebanyak RM50 juta
Kerajaan komited memperluaskan pendidikan berkaitan Kecerdasan Buatan (AI) ke semua universiti penyelidikan dengan peruntukan RM50 juta, berbanding RM20 juta tahun ini.
Latihan regata bertukar tragedi, lima peserta dikhuatiri lemas
Insiden melibatkan 15 peserta menggunakan satu bot untuk latihan regata. 10 individu berjaya selamatkan diri manakala lima yang lain masih hilang.
UAE hantar tiga lagi pesawat bersama 120 tan bantuan untuk Lubnan
UAE setakat ini telah menghantar 12 pesawat yang membawa 515 tan bekalan bantuan.
Belanjawan 2025: Nak masuk Universiti? Ini cara kerajaan bantu anda
Belanjawan MADANI memperlihatkan komitmen Kerajaan dalam meningkatkan sektor pendidikan tinggi negara.
Belanjawan 2025 sedia platform menyeluruh hadapi cabaran tahun depan - Mohamad Hasan
Langkah-langkah dalam Belanjawan 2025 juga dilihat cuba mengimbangi keperluan rakyat terutama dalam mendepani isu kos sara hidup.
Jumlah kematian di Lubnan terus meningkat
Jumlah kematian akibat serangan udara Israel di Lubnan sejak tercetusnya konflik Israel-Hizbullah pada 8 Oktober 2023 meningkat kepada 2,412.
Lima hilang selepas perahu lumba karam
Wartawan AWANI Borneo, Fadillah Sulaiman bawakan laporan terkini insiden perahu lumba karam dan tenggelam berhampiran kawasan perindustrian Bintawa.
Kematian Yahya Sinwar tidak sesekali patahkan semangat Hamas
Kematian itu dilihat bakal mempupuk semangat yang menebal dalam kalangan mereka untuk terus memperjuangkan agenda pembebasan Palestin yang merdeka sekali gus menamatkan agenda kekejaman rejim Zionis
Kanada sahkan 1,168 kes cacar monyet, 30 kes dimasukkan ke hospital
Lebih 105,000 dos vaksin Imvamune sudah dihantar ke wilayah terbabit dengan lebih 59,000 orang telah menerima suntikan dos pertama pada 14 Ogos lalu.
Sudan catat kes cacar monyet pertama
Pesakit merupakan seorang pelajar lelaki berusia 16 tahun dari Dafur Barat, wilayah di bahagian utara.
KKM tingkatkan pengawasan, advokasi mengenai penyakit cacar monyet - Khairy
Khairy berkata, KKM akan mempertingkat pengawasan di pintu masuk antarabangsa dengan kerjasama agensi dan jabatan berkaitan, termasuk MAHB.
Pesakit pertama cacar monyet di Thailand hilangkan diri
Pesakit cacar monyet pertama Thailand menghilangkan diri di pulau peranginan Phuket sebaik beliau dimaklumkan mengenai keputusan ujian saringannya.
Tiada kes cacar monyet dikesan dalam negara - KJ
Menurut Menteri Kesihatan, Khairy Jamaluddin, kesemua kes membabitkan dua lelaki dan tiga perempuan adalah didapati negatif virus cacar monyet.
643 kes cacar monyet dikesan di 26 negara setakat ini - WHO
Sekurang-kurangnya 643 kes cacar monyet telah direkodkan di 26 negara pada awal Jun, kata Ketua Penularan Penyakit dan Zoonosis, Program Kesihatan Kecemasan WHO Maria Van Kerkhove.
Tiga bandar di AS umum kes pertama disyaki cacar monyet
Bandar Los Angeles, Chicago dan Philadelphia telah merekodkan kes pertama disyaki cacar monyet.
WHO beri amaran wabak cacar monyet mungkin tidak dapat dibendung
Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) tidak yakin penularan virus cacar monyet dapat dibendung sepenuhnya pada ketika ini, kata Pengarah WHO untuk wilayah Eropah, Hans Kluge pada Selasa.
'Health Alert monkeypox' akan dilaksanakan menerusi aplikasi MySejahtera mulai esok - Khairy
'Health Alert monkeypox' akan dilaksanakan menerusi aplikasi MySejahtera mulai esok.
Risiko virus cacar monyet tersebar ke Malaysia rendah - Dr Noor Hisham
Risiko virus cacar monyet tersebar ke Malaysia adalah rendah kecuali sekiranya terdapat sejarah bersentuhan dengan haiwan dijangkiti ataupun kontak langsung dengan pesakit wabak itu.