The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that there were 131 cases of monkeypox in 19 countries where the virus does not usually spread.
Outside of Central and Western Africa, monkeypox is rare.
There are more than 100 suspected cases that are not confirmed by the WHO.
Monkeypox is usually found in parts of Central and Western Africa and is usually linked to travel, but the recent outbreak suggests the disease is spreading in the community outside these areas.
The WHO's director for Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness said that the outbreak is limited and contained.
It isn't clear whether the outbreak is just the tip of the iceberg or if it has already peaked, according to Briand.
There are at least six presumptive cases of monkeypox in the U.S. Other cases are suspected or confirmed in Europe, including Spain, the U.K., Belgium and Portugal. There was an outbreak of monkeypox in the US in 2003 that was linked to travel to affected regions.
Monkeypox is rare outside Central and Western Africa, but it is well understood. It is not easy to transmit between people and can cause symptoms like a rash. The disease is usually mild and will go away on its own within a month or so, though it is riskier for children, and can cause serious illness and death in some cases, though the precise fatality rate is not known. There are treatments and vaccines available to curb the spread of monkeypox, which is one of the biggest killers and the only human disease to have been successfully eradicated. A Department of Health and Human Services spokesman told Forbes that the U.S. has enough vaccine to protect the entire population in the event of an emergency. The country is preparing to release some of these vaccines for people who have been exposed to the monkeypox virus, officials said on Monday.
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Have you heard about Monkeypox? (Atlantic)
There is a rare virus found in the U.S., the UK and Europe.
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