In a statement to the press, Catherine Smallwood, the WHO’s Director for Monkeypox Surveillance in Europe, reported that many cases of monkeypox detected in the latest outbreak concentrated in Europe involve individuals who have sexual relations with each other and have had close contact.
Some patients have been tested for the virus in their semen, and the results were positive. (Illustrative image: Reuters).
Recently, scientists discovered genetic material of the virus in the semen of several monkeypox patients in Germany and Italy. Among these samples, one showed that the virus found in the semen of a patient could potentially spread to others and initiate replication. However, the agency still believes that the monkeypox virus primarily spreads through close contact between individuals.
“Some patients have been tested for the virus in their semen, and the results were positive. This is something we are currently researching. However, this information does not change our assessment of the current transmission routes that we are observing at this time. Most infections are based on physical proximity between individuals, skin-to-skin contact, and oral contact, which is truly the driving factor behind the transmission,” a WHO representative stated.
Statistics indicate that over 1,300 monkeypox cases have been reported in approximately 30 countries, primarily in Europe, since early May. Most cases are recorded among men who have sex with men. This outbreak raises concerns because monkeypox previously rarely spread outside Africa, where it has been considered endemic. Notably, the majority of cases detected do not have a travel history to Africa. Scientists are currently working to understand the nature of this outbreak, its origins, and whether the virus has mutated compared to those found in Africa.
