The vetoed health organization said monkeypox poses a “moderate risk” to global public health after cases were reported in countries where the disease is not normally detected, Reuters reported.
“The public health risk could be high if the virus is identified as a human pathogen and spreads to groups at higher risk of serious illness, such as young children and immunocompromised people,” the WHO said.
As of May 26, a total of 257 cases have been confirmed in 23 countries and 120 non-endemic cases have been observed. No deaths have been reported yet.
The WHO also said that a sudden outbreak of monkeypox in several non-endemic countries suggests a route of transmission that has not yet been discovered.
The agency adds that it expects more cases to be reported as monitoring and control in endemic and non-endemic countries expand.
Monkeypox is an infectious disease that is usually mild and endemic in parts of West and Central Africa. It is transmitted through close contact, so it can be controlled relatively easily by maintaining social distancing and personal hygiene.
Most of the cases reported so far have been found in the UK, Spain, and Portugal. “For the majority of reported cases, no travel to endemic areas has yet been recorded and they have been found in sexual health clinics,” the UN said in a statement.