A WHO spokeswoman announced on Tuesday that the organization had identified 5,322 laboratory-confirmed cases of monkeypox worldwide, an increase of more than 50% from the previous report of June 22, for a single death.
"WHO continues to ask countries to pay particular attention to these cases, to try to limit contamination," Fadela Chaib said at a press conference in Geneva.
A second meeting of the WHO emergency committee on the subject, after its first meeting on June 23, is not currently planned.
Last week, the health agency ruled that the current outbreak of monkeypox cases did not constitute "a public health emergency of international concern", the organization's highest level of alert.
A 55% increase in cases in recent days
In recent days, the number of cases has increased sharply, by 55.9% compared to the previous count, according to the latest report dated June 30.
The previous count recorded 3,413 cases eight days earlier, while Europe remains by far the region most affected by the virus with 85% of cases, while 53 countries are now affected.
Since last May, an unusual upsurge in monkeypox cases has been detected outside countries in West and Central Africa, where the virus usually circulates.
While the majority of cases identified concern men who have sex with men, “other vulnerable groups are also at risk,” said the WHO spokesperson, before adding: “There have been a few cases in children (and) in people who have a compromised immune system.
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