WHO: Monkeypox a global health emergency

Monkeypox has spread to more than 70 countries, with just under 3,000 cases in the United States. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said over the weekend that the virus qualifies for the agency’s highest level of alert. That does not necessarily mean the disease is especially transmissible or lethal—just that the WHO plans to invest more resources in combating it. Ghebreyesus said the risk of monkeypox globally is moderate, except in Europe where it’s higher.

How does monkeypox spread? The virus is transmitted by contact with the skin lesions of an infected person. It is spreading most rapidly among homosexual men. There is a vaccine for monkeypox, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has sent more than 370,000 doses to U.S. states reporting cases.

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Reichard discuss the monkeypox outbreak with Dr. Zach Jenkins on The World and Everything in It podcast.