The World Health Organization (WHO) has recorded more than 3,200 confirmed monkeypox cases and one death as 48 countries have reported cases in the current outbreak that started in May.
Highlighting that cases in non-endemic countries were still predominantly among men who have sex with men, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that there is a need for intensified surveillance in the broader community.
“Person-to-person transmission is ongoing and is likely underestimated,” Tedros said at a meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee, which was hosted by the WHO to decide whether to declare monkeypox a global health emergency.
A “public health emergency of international concern” is WHO’s highest level of alert.
