Our region is considered a low risk zone for the mpox infection. Stepan Atoyan, Director General of the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention, stated this at the press conference held Wednesday at the Ministry of Health of Armenia.

He noted that on August 14, the World Health Organization issued a worldwide mpox alert.

"African countries are considered a high risk zone, while Western and Eastern Europe, our region are considered a low risk zone," Atoyan added.

According to him, the mpox strain circulating worldwide now is different from the one that was circulating in 2022.

"The main form of transmission is considered direct contact with a sick animal; that is, when slaughtering [it] or eating [its] meat. The infection is also transmitted sexually," added the director general of the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention.