WHO Says Spread of Monkeypox ‘Amplified’ by Sex at Raves in Europe

Officials at the World Health Organization (WHO) say the spread of monkeypox has likely been “amplified” by sex that took place at two raves in Europe.

“We know monkeypox can spread when there is close contact with the lesions of someone who is infected, and it looks like sexual contact has now amplified that transmission,” said Dr. David Heymann in an interview with The Associated Press.

The rare disease was amplified in developed countries “as a random event” that might be connected to sexual activity that took place at two large rave events in Europe, CBS News reports. Heyman, who previously served as WHO’s head of emergencies department, says the sexual transmission of the disease appears to have spread through sexual activity amongst bisexual and gay men who went to raves located in Spain and Belgium.

So far, there are more than 90 cases of monkeypox in several counties, including the U.S., Belgium, France, Spain, Switzerland, Britain and Israel. Dr. Anne Rimoin, professor of epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, says the virus is spread through close personal contact.”