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The smallpox vaccination also protects against monkeypox (symbol image)
Photo: IMAGO/Bihlmayerfotografie
Since the first cases of monkeypox became known in Europe this year, the number of cases has been increasing.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Sunday that around 780 cases of the viral disease had been reported outside of its usual range by Friday.
The cases occurred in 27 so-called non-endemic countries.
57 cases were reported from Germany.
According to the WHO, the risk to human health is currently “moderate”.
Monkeypox is endemic in several countries in West and Central Africa, so it occurs there constantly and frequently.
Outside of this usual range, since the UK reported the first case of monkeypox on May 7, the UK has reported the most cases to date, with 207, and Spain with 186.
Portugal follow with 138 and Canada with 58.
According to the WHO, it can be assumed that the number of unreported cases is significantly higher worldwide.
"It is very likely that other countries will identify cases and that the virus will spread further." So far, most cases worldwide have occurred in men who have had sex with men.
The disease is named monkeypox after the pathogen was first detected in monkeys in a Danish laboratory in 1958.
Experts suspect that the virus actually circulates in squirrels and rodents, while monkeys and humans are considered false hosts.
Symptoms of monkeypox in humans include fever, headache, muscle aches, and a rash that often starts on the face and then spreads to other parts of the body.
Most people recover from the disease within a few weeks, and death is rare.
There is no specific therapy and no vaccination against monkeypox.
According to historical data, however, a smallpox vaccination protects against monkeypox - and probably for life.
As the RKI explains, however, large parts of the world's population have no vaccination protection.
Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) has ordered 40,000 vaccine doses for Germany as a precaution.
kry/dpa