Geneva: More than 550 confirmed cases have now been reported to WHO from 30 countries that are not endemic for monkeypox virus.
"Investigations are ongoing, but the sudden appearance of monkeypox in many countries at the same time suggests there may have been undetected transmission for some time," WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a media briefing on Wednesday.
So far, he said, most cases have been reported among men who have sex with men presenting with symptoms at sexual health clinics.
According to him, these communities are working hard to inform their members about the risks of monkeypox, and prevent transmission.
"But all of us must work hard to fight stigma, which is not just wrong, it could also prevent infected individuals from seeking care, making it harder to stop transmission," he said.
The UN Health Agency is urging affected countries to widen their surveillance, to look for cases in the broader community.
WHO continues to receive updates on the status of ongoing monkeypox outbreaks in the countries in Africa where the virus is endemic.
"WHO’s priorities now are first, to provide accurate information to those groups most at risk of monkeypox; Second, to prevent further spread among at-risk groups; Third, to protect frontline health workers; And fourth, to advance our understanding of this disease," he concluded.
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