WHO Speculates Monkeypox Outbreak Linked To Europe Raves, Pride Event In Canary Islands

Officials in the World Health Organization on Monday said that they have traced some cases of monkeypox in Europe to some European raves and a Pride event in the Canary Islands, as monkeypox cases rise around the world.

Dr. David Heymann, an expert from the World Health Organization, said that while monkeypox is not a sexually-transmitted disease, sexual contact between people with lesions can help spread the disease to other people, according to the New York Post.

“It’s very possible there was somebody who got infected, developed lesions on the genitals, hands or somewhere else, and then spread it to others when there was sexual or close, physical contact,” Heymann said. “And then there were these international events that seeded the outbreak around the world, into the U.S. and other European countries.”

Spanish officials have linked cases of monkeypox to a Pride event in the Canary while German officials have linked it to raves inside the country, but officials have put emphasis on physical contact between an infected person and a noninfected person being causing the spread and not their sexual orientation.

“By nature, sexual activity involves intimate contact, which one would expect to increase the likelihood of transmission, whatever a person’s sexual orientation and irrespective of the mode of transmission,” Mike Skinner, a virologist, said.

A disease that originated in West and Central Africa, cases of monkeypox have popped up in the United States, Canada, Spain, Italy, and the U.K. in recent weeks. In spite of the rising cases, officials have reassured people to not worry about the disease, CNN reported.

“At this time, we don't want people to worry,” U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said. “These numbers are still small; we want them to be aware of (the) symptoms, and if they have any concerns to reach out to their doctor.”

“This is not COVID,” Heymann said. “We need to slow it down, but it does not spread in the air and we have vaccines to protect against it."