HUMANS DREAD the family of poxviruses. One of its Members smallpox killed over 300 million in just eight decades before being eliminated in 1977. So, when one of its cousins the milder monkeypox virus infected a person in the UK on May 6, 2022, the world took note of it.
Human cases of monkeypox are considered rare outside Africa, and only eight cases had been reported in non-endemic areas till the start of 2022. This trend changed in May. In less than one month after the UK case was confirmed, 34 countries across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, South America and North America reported 824 confirmed and 1,408 suspected cases of monkeypox virus infection.
Even India, which has never reported monkeypox cases, has rolled out an extensive surveillance in response to the current outbreak. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the public health risk of the current outbreak as "moderate" citing its concurrent outbreaks in geographical areas without known epidemiological links to endemic countries in west or central Africa. By far, this is the most geographically widespread outbreak of the virus in 50 years. On June 1, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general, WHO, said that the sudden appearance of monkeypox in multiple countries across the world indicates that the virus has been spreading undetected for some time. "It is unclear how long the virus has been spreading undetected outside Africa," says Rosamund Lewis, monkeypox technical lead for WHO. "We don't really know whether it's too late to contain."
Denne historien er fra June 16, 2022-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Denne historien er fra June 16, 2022-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Trade On Emissions
EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, a tariff on imports, is designed to protect European industries in the guise of climate action.
'The project will facilitate physical and cultural decimation of indigenous people'
The Great Nicobar Project has all the hallmarks of a disaster-seismic, ecological, human. Why did it get the go-ahead?
TASTE IT RED
Popularity of Karnataka's red jackfruit shows how biodiversity can be conserved by ensuring that communities benefit from it
MANY MYTHS OF CHIPKO
Misconceptions about the Chipko movement have overshadowed its true objectives.
The politics and economics of mpox
Africa's mpox epidemic stems from delayed responses, neglect of its health risks and the stark vaccine apartheid
Emerging risks
Even as the world gets set to eliminate substances threatening the ozone layer, climate change and space advancement pose new challenges.
JOINING THE CARBON CLUB
India's carbon market will soon be a reality, but will it fulfil its aim of reducing emissions? A report by PARTH KUMAR and MANAS AGRAWAL
Turn a new leaf
Scientists join hands to predict climate future of India's tropical forests
Festering troubles
The Democratic Republic of Congo struggles to contain mpox amid vaccine delays, conflict and fragile healthcare.
India sees unusual monsoon patterns
THE 2024 southwest monsoon has, between June 1 and September 1, led to excess rainfall in western and southern states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, while others like Nagaland, Manipur and Punjab recorded a deficit.
