The WHO’s lead advisor, Dr. David Heymann, told The Associated Press: The monkeypox outbreak in Europe and North America may have been caused by illegal sex at rave parties in Spain and Belgium.
“We know that smallpox can be spread by close contact with the pests of an infected person, and sexual contact appears to have enhanced this transmission,” he said.
Most cases of monkeypox reported in Europe are among men who have sex with men.
“The nature of the lesions in some cases indicates that transmission occurred during sexual intercourse,” the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said in a statement.
However, any close contact with an infected person, their clothing or bedding can cause infection, experts say.
