MOSCOW, June 8. /TASS/. No monkeypox cases have been recorded in Russia so far, the federal sanitary watchdog said in a statement on Wednesday.

"No monkeypox cases were recorded in Russia as of today. Rospotrebnadzor (the sanitary watchdog - TASS) is taking all necessary measures to prevent the import of this infection and its possible spread," the statement reads.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), monkeypox is a rare viral infection that "occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of central and west Africa and is occasionally exported to other regions." Monkeypox is transmitted to humans from animals such as rodents and monkeys, while human-to-human transmission is limited. "The case fatality ratio of monkeypox has historically ranged from 0 to 11% in the general population and has been higher among young children," the WHO points out.

There is no specific treatment or vaccine for monkeypox but smallpox vaccines are highly effective in preventing the infection.