GENEVA: Moreover, the WHO has recently stated that it is not concerned about the spread of Monkeypox outside of Africa, where it is generally found, causing a global epidemic.

Since Britain first reported a confirmed monkeypox case on May 7, the World Health Organization has received reports of about 400 suspected and confirmed cases in nearly two dozen nations far from the virus's endemic areas.

Monkeypox and Global Pandemic

 The UN health agency expressed concern over this "unique circumstance" but stressed that there was no need to be alarmed because the virus spreads through close contact and rarely causes serious illness.

Rosamund Lewis, WHO's top monkeypox expert, admitted at an epidemiological briefing that "we don't know" whether the virus, which is widespread in various west and central African countries, may spark another pandemic.

But "we don't think so," she said. "At the moment, we are not concerned about a global pandemic." 

She stressed the importance of acting quickly to stop the infection from spreading.
 "It is still possible to stop this outbreak before it gets larger," she told an online public forum.