WHO looks into reports of monkeypox virus in semen

The World Health Organisation is looking into reports that the monkeypox virus is present in the semen of patients, exploring the possibility that the disease could be sexually transmitted, a WHO official said on Wednesday.

Many cases in the current monkeypox outbreak, largely centred on Europe, are among sexual partners who have had close contact, and the agency reiterated that virus is mainly transmitted via close interpersonal contact.

In recent days, scientists say they have detected viral DNA in the semen of a handful of monkeypox patients in Italy and Germany, including a lab-tested sample that suggested the virus found in the semen of a single patient was capable of infecting another person and replicating.

Catherine Smallwood, monkeypox incident manager at WHO/Europe, said it was not known whether recent reports meant the monkeypox virus could be sexually transmitted.

“This may have been something that we were unaware of in this disease before,” she told a press briefing.

“We really need to focus on the most frequent mode of transmission and we clearly see that to be associated with skin to skin contact.”

More than 1,300 cases of the viral disease have been reported by about 30 countries since early May. Most cases have been reported in men who have sex with men.

The outbreak has triggered concern since the virus is rarely seen outside of Africa, where it is endemic, and the majority of the European cases are not related to travel to the continent.

As the outbreak spreads, the WHO has recommended targeted vaccination of close contacts, including healthcare workers, but has warned it is already seeing a rush to stockpile vaccines.

“Once again, a ‘me first’ approach could lead to damaging consequences down the road,” said Hans Kluge, WHO’s regional director for Europe.

“I beseech governments to tackle monkeypox without repeating the mistakes of the pandemic – and keeping equity at the heart of all we do.”

Monkeypox cases around the world

ASIA-PACIFIC
* AUSTRALIA, which on May 20 reported its first case, had confirmed eight as of June 10.

EUROPE
* AUSTRIA confirmed first case on May 22 and a total of four as of June 13.
* BELGIUM had detected 34 cases by June 10, since its first two on May 20.
* CZECH REPUBLIC detected first case on May 24, reaching a total of six as of June 2.
* DENMARK confirmed first case on May 23 and a total of seven as of June 14.
* FINLAND, which reported first case on May 27, had confirmed three as of June 8.
* FRANCE had confirmed 125 cases by June 14.
* GERMANY reported first case on May 20 and a total of 229 by June 14.
* GIBRALTAR confirmed its first case on June 1.
* GREECE detected its first case on June 8 and confirmed a second on June 12.
* HUNGARY confirmed first case on May 31 and reached a total of three by June 10.
* ICELAND diagnosed two cases on June 8 in initial tests, pending confirmation from foreign testing. Local health authority expects the primary diagnosis to be correct.
* IRELAND had confirmed nine cases as of June 8, with first on May 28.
* ITALY had detected 29 cases as of June 9, since its first on May 19.
* LATVIA confirmed its first case on June 3, a second on June 8.
* MALTA reported one case on June 2.
* The NETHERLANDS had confirmed 80 as of June 14, with first on May 20.
* NORWAY reported first case on May 31.
* POLAND reported first case on June 10.
* PORTUGAL confirmed 10 new cases on June 15, bringing its total to 241.
* ROMANIA confirmed first case on June 13.
* SLOVENIA has reported a total of seven cases since its first on May 24.
* SPAIN had confirmed 313 cases by June 14.
* SWEDEN confirmed its first case on May 19 and a total of six by June 8.
* SWITZERLAND had confirmed a total of 20 cases as of June 14, with first on May 21.
* The UNITED KINGDOM had 524 confirmed cases as of June 14, including 504 in England, 13 in Scotland, two in Northern Ireland and five in Wales.

MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA
* ISRAEL had reported four cases as of June 9, with its first on May 21.
* MOROCCO reported its first case on June 2.
* The UNITED ARAB EMIRATES had reported a total of 13 infections since its first on May 24.

AMERICAS
* ARGENTINA had two confirmed cases as of June 2.
* BRAZIL had confirmed three cases as of June 12, with first on June 8.
* CANADA had confirmed 159 infections as of June 14.
* MEXICO confirmed its first case on May 28. As of June 15, it had confirmed fives.
* The UNITED STATES had confirmed 72 cases in 14 states and the District of Colombia by June 14.
* VENEZUELA confirmed first case on June 12.