Monkeypox outbreak: WHO says 'highly likely' other countries will identify cases

At least 780 laboratory-confirmed monkeypox cases have been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by 27 non-endemic countries so far, the global health body said on Sunday (June 5). The UN health agency said that it is "highly likely" that other countries will identify cases and there will be a further spread of the virus. However, WHO maintained that the global risk level was moderate.

Global concerns have been raised over the recent increase in rare monkeypox infections in different parts of the world. Monkeypox is a viral infection that is more common in West and Central Africa.

The spread is highly concerning because multiple cases and outbreaks mostly occur in west and central Africa. Occasionally it spreads elsewhere.

As per WHO, the 780 figure, for cases from May 13 to Thursday, was probably an underestimate due to limited epidemiological and laboratory information.

Most of the monkeypox cases have been reported in European countries. The WHO listed the non-endemic countries reporting the most cases as Britain (207), Spain (156), Portugal (138), Canada (58) and Germany (57).

Apart from the mentioned countries, cases have also been reported in Argentina, Australia, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.

WHO said: "It is highly likely that other countries will identify cases and there will be further spread of the virus."

The WHO said, "Some countries are reporting that new generations of cases are no longer appearing only among known contacts of previously confirmed cases, suggesting that chains of transmission are being missed through undetected circulation of the virus."

"Although the current risk to human health and for the general public remains low, the public health risk could become high if this virus exploits the opportunity to establish itself in non-endemic countries as a widespread human pathogen," it added.

"WHO assesses the risk at the global level as moderate considering this is the first time that many monkeypox cases and clusters are reported concurrently in non-endemic and endemic countries." it further added.

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