Monkeypox

According to Dr. Rosamund Lewis, WHO Technical Lead on monkeypox, the first human-to-dog transmission of the virus is new but not surprising, The Washington Post reported. "It has not been reported that dogs have been infected before. So, on a number of levels, this is new information. It's not surprising information, and it's something that we've been on the watch out for," Lewis was quoted as saying.

As of Thursday, the US has confirmed more than 6,600 cases of monkeypox, nearly 25 per cent of the global total of 25,800 so far, Xinhua news agency reported. A public health emergency can trigger grant funding and open up more resources for various aspects of a federal response. It also allows the HHS secretary to enter into contracts for treatments and other necessary medical supplies and equipment, as well as support emergency hospital services, among other things. Despite Thursday's proclamation, HHS officials still hoped to prevent monkeypox from becoming endemic in the country.

Mayor Eric Adams and city Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan made the announcement in a joint statement late Saturday as a total of 1,383 monkeypox cases have been reported in New York State, reports Xinhua news agency. "New York City is currently the epicentre of the outbreak, and we estimate that approximately 150,000 New Yorkers may currently be at risk for monkeypox exposure," the statement read.