Sixteen new cases of monkey pox have been reported in Switzerland, the Federal Office of Public Health (OFSP) said on its website on Wednesday. This brings the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases of the disease to 181.
For the moment, the FOPH does not expect a danger for the population and the national and international epidemiological data indicate a limitation of the outbreaks, he added. The population group most affected today are men who have sex with men.
The FOPH assumes that there will be a clear increase in the number of infections in Switzerland, also among other population groups. The FOPH continues to monitor the situation closely, in agreement with the cantons, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control near Stockholm and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Less dangerous
Monkeypox is a less dangerous cousin of smallpox, eradicated for regarding forty years. The illness begins with a high fever and quickly progresses to a rash with crusting.
The infectious disease is transmitted to humans by other animal species, probably rodents (zoonosis). Human-to-human transmission is also possible.
