The number of people infected with mpox disease has reached 87,929 worldwide since the beginning of 2022, including 146 deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated in its latest report on the multi-country outbreak.
"From January 1, 2022, through June 5, 2023, a cumulative total of 87,929 laboratory-confirmed cases of mpox, including 146 deaths, have been reported to WHO from 111 countries in all six WHO regions," read the report.
According to the WHO, there have been 552 new cases and six new deaths registered since the last situation report published on May 26.
It was noted that during the week from May 29 to June 4, the number of cases globally decreased by 3% compared to the previous week. At the same time, in Europe and Southeast Asia, incidence increased. In Europe, Spain and the United Kingdom informed the WHO about the increase in the number of infections, while in Southeast Asia, Thailand did likewise.
In the past three weeks, the Americas region reported the largest share of mpox infections, accounting for 41% of all cases.
There has also been a surge in cases in Africa, notably in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria, surpassing the previously reported average. A total of 1,794 cases have been registered on the continent since January 2022.
As of June 5, the most cases since the beginning of last year were registered in the United States (30,243). In the top ten are Brazil (10,948), Spain (7,556), France (4,146), Colombia (4,090), Mexico (4,020), Peru (3,800), Great Britain (3,753), Germany (3,691) and Canada (1,496). These ten countries account for 83.9% of the cases reported globally.
The UN agency indicated that the vast majority of cases (96.2%) are men aged 29 to 41 years.
Mpox is a rare viral disease, with cases mainly in remote areas of Central and West Africa located near rainforests. The first case of transmission of this disease from an animal to a person was recorded in 1970 on the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
According to WHO, the virus is transmitted to humans from wild animals such as rodents and primates. It can also spread from humans to humans through contact with bodily fluids, lesions on the skin or on internal mucosal surfaces. The lethality rate for mpox outbreaks stands at between 1% and 10%. The majority of deaths occur in younger age groups.