A large multi-country outbreak of monkeypox across 41 countries in the WHO European Region, 7 March to 23 August 2022
Aisling Vaughan, Orlando Cenciarelli, Soledad Colombe, Luís Alves de Sousa, Natalie Fischer, Céline M Gossner, Jeff Pires, Giuditta Scardina, Guðrún Aspelund, Margarita Avercenko, Sara Bengtsson, Paula Blomquist, Anna Caraglia, Émilie Chazelle, Orna Cohen, Asunción Díaz, Christina Dillon, Irina Dontsenko, Katja Kotkavaara, Mario Fafangel, Federica Ferraro, Richard Firth, Jannik Fonager, Christina Frank, Mireia G. Carrasco, Kassiani Gkolfinopoulou, Marte Petrikke Grenersen, Bernardo Guzmán-Herrador, Judit Henczkó, Elske Hoornenborg, Derval Igoe, Maja Ilić, Klaus Jansen, Denisa-Georgiana Janță, Tone Bjordal Johansen, Ana Kasradze, Anders Koch, Jan Kynčl, João Vieira Martins, Andrew McAuley, Kassiani Μellou, Zsuzsanna Molnár, Zohar Mor, Joël Mossong, Alina Novacek, Hana Orlíková, Iva Pem Novosel, Maria K. Rossi, Małgorzata Sadkowska-Todys, Clare Sawyer, Daniela Schmid, Anca Sîrbu, Klara Sondén, Arnaud Tarantola, Margarida Tavares, Maríanna Þórðardóttir, Veronika Učakar, Catharina E van Ewijk, Juta Varjas, Anne Vergison, Roberto Vivancos, Karolina Zakrzewska, Richard Pebody, Joana M. Haussig
Abstract
Following the report of a non-travel-associated cluster of monkeypox cases by the United Kingdom in May 2022, 41 countries across the WHO European Region have reported 21,098 cases and two deaths by 23 August 2022. Nowcasting suggests a plateauing in case notifications. Most cases (97%) are MSM, with atypical rash-illness presentation. Spread is mainly through close contact during sexual activities. Few cases are reported among women and children. Targeted interventions of at-risk groups are needed to stop further transmission.