WHO to reconvene monkeypox emergency panel on July 21

GENEVA — The World Health Organization said Thursday it would reconvene its committee of experts on July 21 to decide whether the monkeypox outbreak constitutes a global health emergency.

"The emergency committee will provide its views to the WHO director general on whether the event constitutes a public health emergency of international concern," the UN health agency said in a statement.

"If so, it will propose temporary recommendations on how to better prevent and reduce the spread of the disease and manage the global public health response."

A surge in monkeypox infections has been reported since early May outside the West and Central African countries where the disease has long been endemic.

The normal initial symptoms of monkeypox include a high fever, swollen lymph nodes and a blistery chickenpox-like rash.

Initial outbreak cases had no epidemiological links to areas that have historically reported monkeypox, suggesting that undetected transmission might have been going on for some time.

The WHO's current plan to contain the spread focuses on raising awareness among affected population groups and encouraging safe behaviors and protective measures. — Agence France-Presse