On May 31, 2022, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a statement ruling out the possibility of monkeypox becoming one of the deadliest pandemics.
Monkeypox is a virus transmitted to humans from animals, with symptoms similar to those seen in the past in smallpox patients, although it is clinically less severe.
According to the WHO, human-to-human transmission of monkeypox can result from close contact with respiratory secretions, skin lesions of an infected person, or recently contaminated objects.
This means that sexually active individuals may have to avoid sexual intimacy if one of them is infected, as the virus can be transmitted through close physical contact.
UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued new guidelines on Tuesday to reduce the spread of monkeypox, but the WHO has stated that it is yet to be established if monkeypox can be transmitted by sexual intercourse or close contact.
Dr Rosamund Lewis, WHO's leading monkeypox expert, said, 'It is not yet known whether this virus is exploiting a new mode of transmission, but what is clear is that it continues to exploit its well-known mode of transmission, which is close physical contact.'
The Ministry of Health in Kenya has been on a high alert following the outbreak of monkeypox, but the country is yet to report a single case or a patient with its symptoms.
