Can Monkeypox outbreak evolve into a pandemic like Covid-19? Here's what scientists feel
Zee News
The monkeypox virus belongs to the family Poxviridae, which also includes the viruses causing smallpox and cowpox disease.
New Delhi: In what Germany described as the "largest outbreak" in Europe ever, the cases of monkeypox have now been reported in several countries including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom - as well as the United States, Canada, and Australia.
The first European case was confirmed on May 7 in an individual who returned to England from Nigeria. Since then, over 100 cases have been confirmed or suspected in Europe of the rare viral infection, which is more common to the west and central Africa.
Scientists feel that the monkeypox outbreak will not evolve into a pandemic like Covid-19 as this virus does not spread as easily as SARS-COV-2.
Fabian Leendertz, a researcher at the Robert Koch Institute in Germany, described the outbreak as an epidemic.
"However, it is very unlikely that this epidemic will last long. The cases can be well isolated via contact tracing and there are also drugs and effective vaccines that can be used if necessary," he was quoted as saying by Reuters.
