GENEVA: More than 35,000 cases of monkeypox have now been reported from 92 countries and territories, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the media briefing on monkeypox, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that almost 7,500 cases were reported last week, which is a 20 per cent increase over the previous week.
"More than 35,000 cases of #monkeypox have now been reported to WHO, from 92 countries and territories, with 12 deaths. Almost 7,500 cases were reported last week, a 20 per cent increase over the previous week, which was also 20 per cent more than the week before," he said.
The WHO chief also said that most of the monkeypox cases are being reported from Europe and the Americas -among men who have sex with men.
"Almost all (monkeypox) cases are being reported -- from Europe and the Americas -among men who have sex with men, underscoring the importance for all countries to design and deliver services and info tailored to these communities that protect the health, human rights and dignity," he said.
According to Dr Demetre Daskalakis, a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) official working on the monkeypox response, monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted disease but people who have tested positive in the US had some level of sexual activity. That can include penetrative encounters as well as oral sex, CNN reported.
Primarily, the virus is used to spread skin-to-skin and can also be transmitted by touching objects like sheets or towels that may have been used by somebody with monkeypox, as well as through close face-to-face interactions like kissing.
According to the CDC, the researchers are investigating whether the virus can be spread by someone who has no symptoms or through semen, vaginal fluids and faecal matter. CDC further said that condoms alone cannot protect against the spread of monkeypox.
However, the agency still emphasizes that condoms can prevent other sexually transmitted infections.