that there have been incidents of cases outside the typically endemic countries in africa. the atypical nature currently is that we are seeing, you know, a large number of human to human transmission outside endemic countries, but also, you know, affecting this group, population, that has not typically been seen before. some experts also raised concerns monkeypox and other infectious diseases could be transmitted to animals via human medical waste. an opportunity for animals to tear those bags open and for rodents to get in there and get infected. it s all sparking a flurry of scientific research. the european union s drug watchdog is in talks with the maker of a vaccine against deadly smallpox to extend its use to monkeypox. its vaccine head says that
surge outside of africa, where the virus is usually found. 0ur reporter shelley phelps has more science is are struggling to explain the monkeypox cases. europe is not used to seeing the virus. according to the world health organisation more than five hundred and fifty confirmed cases have been reported by at least thirty countries outside of africa. where the virus is typically found. it is not the first case outside of africa, typically, we are seeing a large number of human to human transmission outside endemic countries but also affecting a group
where it s usually found. 0ur reporter shelley phelps has more. scientists are struggling to explain the current crop of monkeypox cases. they ve mostly been identified in europe which is not used to seeing the virus. according to the world health organization, more than 550 confirmed cases have been reported by at least 30 countries outside of africa. where the virus is typically found. it is not the first time there have been incidents of cases outside of typically endemic countries and ethical. the typical nature currently is a we are seeing a large number of human to human transmission outside endemic countries, but also affecting this group of population that has not typically been seen before.
over monkeypox. i m joined now by professor catherine bennett, the chair in epidemiology with the institute for health transformation at deakin university in melbourne. thank you forjoining us. it is an interesting one, this, isn t it? seemingly it has come out of nowhere. we seemingly come as the public, know very little about it so maybe clarify a few things for us if you would, what do we know about the outbreak so far around the world? well, as you say, it is unusual to see the number of cases we are seeing now outside the parts of the world which is basically central and western africa where we know this virus is endemic, it is in animal reservoirs and we see human cases and human to human transmission from time to time. we have also seen travellers who have been in those areas, taking the virus back to the uk, singapore, overthe last areas, taking the virus back to the uk, singapore, over the last new year s. use see odd cases but we have not seen this number in close proximity i
africa. it seems genetically like it is the west african strain that is circulating. so now it is circulating. so now it is circulating within particular pockets of populations, particularly in urban areas which is different from the natural sites of west africa where it is normally confined to rural areas and the interesting thing about monkeypox is that although we know a lot about the biology of the virus, we don t necessarily fully understand the epidemiology of it. so it is likely to be usually confined to animal populations and then spilling over into human populations. but we don t know what the animal reservoir is but we know that human to human transmission is not usually the most important method of transmission. sorry to interrupt, talk to me a bit about the transmission, how is it being transmitted and how can people, you know, prevent that transmission if possible? yes.