The Americas has become the epicenter of the monkeypox outbreak with the highest number of cases in the world, PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) warned this Wednesday (7).

Monkeypox has killed four people in Brazil, Cuba and Ecuador – Photo: Shutterstock/ND

As of September 6, more than 30,000 cases have been reported in the Americas, especially in the United States, Brazil, Peru and Canada, PAHO director Carissa Etienne said at a virtual press conference.

Most of them are men who have sex with men, he said, but there are also records of at least 145 cases in women and 54 in those under 18.

To date, four deaths from monkeypox have been reported in Brazil, Cuba and Ecuador.

Since vaccines for this smallpox are limited, PAHO recommends prioritizing high-risk groups and communication, avoiding stigmatization and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.

According to Etienne, “stigma has no place in public health” and prevents people at risk from being tested if they have symptoms. “If we don’t actively overcome these barriers, monkeypox will spread unnoticed,” he warned.

PAHO has entered into an agreement with a Bavarian Scandinavian laboratory to supply 100,000 doses of these vaccines to Latin America and the Caribbean through a revolving fund that will begin distributing them in September to 12 countries that have already requested a vaccine.

But Etienne insisted that the vaccines “only complement” other measures, such as surveillance, testing and contact tracing, and while they can be administered prophylactically to healthcare workers, for example, mass vaccination is not recommended.

Viruses such as monkeypox, which are made up of genetic material from DNA, have a “process of evolution and accumulation of mutations”, generally slower than covid-19, but “microevolution” is already taking place in some countries, which can generate stresses , explained Jairo Andrés Mendez Rico, PAHO Advisor for Emerging Viral Diseases.

However, “so far there have been no changes related to higher bandwidth,” he clarified at a press conference.

In these circumstances, and in a region where many countries depend on tourism, Ciro Ugarte, Director of Health Emergencies at PAHO, advised prioritizing information so that tourists and returning citizens know where to turn if they develop symptoms. “There should be no travel restrictions,” he repeated.

Beyond monkeypox, PAHO remains concerned about Covid-19.

The number of cases, hospitalizations and deaths from Covid in the United States has dropped, according to the agency, although there were 4,954 deaths last week.

Compared to other diseases, Covid-19 “remains an ongoing threat” as the virus continues to circulate and new variants may emerge.

That is why the organization is asking countries to contact citizens who have not received a single dose of the vaccine.

Ten countries and territories in the region “have not yet fully vaccinated 40% of their populations,” Etienne said, stressing that the unvaccinated “will be the most affected when the next wave of cases arrives.”