The World Health Organization has confirmed 92 cases of monkeypox in 12 countries

The virus is not endemic in the 12 nations: the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Italy, and Sweden, unlike in several countries in Central and West Africa.

While no deaths have been reported, there are around 28 probable cases in these nations. The World Health Organization is conducting investigations to confirm them.

"As of May 21, WHO had received reports of 92 laboratory confirmed cases of monkeypox and 28 suspected cases of monkeypox with investigations underway from 12 Member States that are not endemic for monkeypox virus, spread across three WHO regions," the WHO stated in a statement.

"To date, no deaths have been linked to the incident. The situation is changing, and WHO anticipates more cases of monkeypox to be found as surveillance in non-endemic countries expands "According to the agency.

The WHO described the discovery of confirmed and probable monkeypox cases without direct travel linkages to an endemic location as "a highly uncommon event."

Surveillance in non-endemic areas has been limited to date, but it is rapidly expanding, and the WHO expects more cases to be reported in non-endemic areas."

According to available data, human-to-human transmission occurs among those in direct physical contact with symptomatic cases.

However, "cases have been documented primarily, but not exclusively, among males who have sex with men (MSM)."

It emphasised the necessity for "urgent steps focusing on informing individuals who may be most at risk of monkeypox infection with appropriate information" to stop the spread.

According to the UN health organisation, the most vulnerable people are those who have had close personal contact with someone who has monkeypox while they are symptomatic.

This is in relation to cases in the United Kingdom and Spain that have been linked to homosexual and bisexual men, prompting health officials to advise gay and bisexual men to be mindful of any strange rashes or lesions and to call a sexual health facility as soon as possible.

The WHO said it is also working on advice to protect frontline health care personnel and other vulnerable health workers, such as cleaners.

Furthermore, the West African strain has been found in all cases whose samples have been validated by PCR.

A near match of the monkeypox virus driving the present outbreak to exported cases from Nigeria to the United Kingdom, Israel, and Singapore in 2018 and 2019 was found in a genome sequence from a swab sample from a confirmed case in Portugal.

Monkeypox is a viral zoonosis (a virus transmitted from animals to humans) with symptoms that are strikingly similar to those seen in smallpox patients in the past, however it is less severe clinically.