WHO representative urges not to panic due to spread of monkeypox, but to take precautionary measures in Russia

ST. PETERSBURG. June 17 (Interfax) - World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Russia Melita Vujnovic has said that there is no need to panic due to the spread of monkeypox, but that precautionary measures should be taken.

"It is necessary to speak human language, to say what kind of disease this is [...]. There is no need to panic, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be careful, that we shouldn't do anything to make sure it doesn't turn into something else. And we will try to make this communication reach everyone," Vujnovic said at the session "The Sanitary Shield: Investing in Development" at the 2022 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on Friday.

In turn, Russian consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor head Anna Popova asked Vujnovic for WHO to publish information on how the disease is transmitted and who mainly contracts monkeypox.

The previous day, Popova said that no cases of monkeypox have been identified in Russia, nor are there any cases of importation of the infection, but urged people to be careful when traveling abroad.