The World Health Organization has said that monkeypox poses a moderate risk to overall public health globally, amid cases reported in countries where the disease does not normally occur. This was reported by Reuters.

"Public health risks could become high if this virus seizes the opportunity to establish itself as a human pathogen and spreads to groups with a higher risk of severe disease, such as young children and immunocompromised people," the WHO said.

The sudden emergence of monkeypox in several non-endemic countries is indicative of undetected transmission over time and intensifying recent events, the agency said. WHO expects to report a larger case as surveillance in endemic and non-endemic countries increases.