Jul 28, 2023
World Health Organization
1 Overview
This report provides a global overview of the monkeypox epidemiological situation as reported to WHO as of July 26 2022. The report focuses on laboratory confirmed cases1 as defined by the WHO’s working case definition published in the Surveillance, case investigation and contact tracing for monkeypox interim guidance. Note that countries may use their own case definitions separate from those outlined in the above document. This report should be considered in the context of other WHO information products associated with the 2022 monkeypox outbreak, and monkeypox in general:
The biweekly Situation Report provides a comprehensive update of the monkeypox situation and response activities across a variety of domains such as epidemiology, clinical management and communications, replacing the previous Disease Outbreak News format;
The Emergency Dashboard provides the latest daily data on total cases and deaths of monkeypox, as well as other events and emergencies to which WHO is responding;
This global epidemiological report provides in-depth epidemiological information about the monkeypox situation, based primarily on case report forms provided by Member States to WHO under Article 6 of the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005).
Links to these products can be see in more detail at the end of the report.
Since 1 January 2022, cases of monkeypox have been reported to WHO from 78 Member States across all 6 WHO regions. As of July 26 2022 at 17h CEST, a total of 18,081 laboratory confirmed cases and 73 probable cases, including 5 deaths, have been reported to WHO. Since 13 May 2022, a high proportion of these cases have been reported from countries without previously documented monkeypox transmission. This is the first time that cases and sustained chains of transmission have been reported in countries without direct or immediate epidemiological links to areas of West or Central Africa.
With the exception of countries2 areas of West and Central Africa, the ongoing outbreak of monkeypox continues to primarily affect men who have sex with men (MSM) who have reported recent sex with one or multiple partners. At present there is no signal suggesting sustained transmission beyond these networks.
Confirmation of one case of monkeypox, in a country, is considered an outbreak. The unexpected appearance of monkeypox in several regions in the initial absence of epidemiological links to areas in West and Central Africa, suggests that there may have been undetected transmission for some time.
WHO assesses the global risk as Moderate. Regionally, WHO assesses the risk in the European Region as High and as Moderate in the African Region, Region of the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean Region and the South-East Asia Region. The risk in the Western Pacific Region is assessed as Low-Moderate. The IHR Emergency Committee on the multi-country outbreak of monkeypox held its second meeting on 21 July 2022. Having considered the views of committee members and advisors as well as other factors in line with the International Health Regulations (2005), the WHO Director-General declared this outbreak a public health emergency of international concern and issued temporary recommendations in relation to the outbreak.
For the WHO European region, both confirmed and probable cases are included within confirmed case counts and detailed case data.
Throughout this document, any use of the word country should be considered shorthand for a country, area, or territory
All references to Kosovo should be understood to be in the context of the United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).
Read More here: https://worldhealthorg.shinyapps.io/mpx_global/#1_Overview
Source: WHO