Israel, Switzerland and Austria are the latest countries to confirm cases of monkeypox, bringing the total number of nations reporting outbreaks to 15. Israel and Switzerland both said they identified one infected person who had recently travelled abroad. Israel is investigating other suspected cases. Monkeypox does not tend to spread easily between people and the…

Outbreak at glance                  Since 13 May 2022, cases of monkeypox have been reported to WHO from 12 Member States that are not endemic for monkeypox virus, across three WHO regions. Epidemiological investigations are ongoing, however, reported cases thus far have no established travel links to endemic areas. Based on currently available information, cases have mainly…

Belgium has become the first country to impose a mandatory 21-day monkeypox quarantine – as 14 countries confirm outbreaks of the viral disease and doctors warn of a ‘significant increase’ in cases in the UK Belgian health authorities said those who contract the virus must now isolate themselves for three weeks after three cases were…

Monkeypox is a rare disease that is caused by infection with monkeypox virus. Monkeypox virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae. The Orthopoxvirus genus also includes variola virus (which causes smallpox), vaccinia virus (used in the smallpox vaccine), and cowpox virus. Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in colonies…

In March 2021, NTI partnered with the Munich Security Conference to conduct a tabletop exercise on reducing high-consequence biological threats. The exercise examined gaps in national and international biosecurity and pandemic preparedness architectures—exploring opportunities to improve prevention and response capabilities for high-consequence biological events. Participants included 19 senior leaders and experts from across Africa, the…

Many of the reported cases “are occurring within sexual networks”, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Health authorities in North America and Europe have detected dozens of suspected or confirmed cases of monkeypox since early May, which is possibly spreading through sexual transmission. Canada today said that it was investigating…

Following confirmation that monkeypox has made its way to the U.S., the government ordered millions of doses of a vaccine that protects against the virus. Bavarian Nordic, the biotech company that makes the vaccine, has announced a $119 million order placed by the U.S., with the option to buy $180 million more if it wants.…

Monkeypox infection after they shared a flight with a British patient who tested positive for the virus. The individuals sat within a three-row radius of the Brit on a nearly seven-hour flight from Nigeria to the UK on May 4. He later became the country’s first confirmed case. Dr Jennifer McQuiston, a senior official at the Centers for…

Portuguese authorities said on Wednesday they had identified five cases of rare monkeypox infection and Spain’s health services are testing eight potential cases after Britain put Europe on alert for the virus. The five Portuguese patients, out of 20 suspected cases, are all stable. They are all men and they all live in the region…

Wheat jumped by the exchange limit after India’s move to restrict exports, exposing just how tight global supplies are after the war in Ukraine and threatening to drive up food prices even more. The government will suspend overseas sales to manage its food security, according to a notification dated May 13. This drew criticism from the agriculture…