Testing remains a challenge for monkeypox: WHO

Testing continues to be a challenge for the monkeypox virus that has infected more than 6,000 people in 58 countries, both endemic and non-endemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. Low testing means that cases go undetected, further increasing the risk of community spread, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a press briefing on Wednesday. He said the WHO is closely following the cases and “the scale and spread of the virus” is concerning. “Across the world, there have now been more than 6,000 cases recorded in 58 countries. Testing remains a challenge and it’s highly probable that there are a significant number of cases not being picked up,” Ghebreyesus said. Medical experts in the US and UK had earlier voiced concerns against slow testing.