Monkeypox still a global health emergency, says WHO

Monkeypox virus is transmitted from one person to another by close contact with lesions, body fluids, respiratory droplets and contaminated materials such as bedding.

The World Health Organization said Tuesday that its emergency committee had determined that monkeypox should continue to be classified as a global health emergency.

Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease that occurs primarily in tropical rainforest areas of central and west Africa and is occasionally exported to other regions. (Reuters)

Following a meeting on October 20 about the virus that suddenly began spreading across the world in May, the experts "held the consensus view that the event continues to meet the... criteria for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)" -- the highest alarm WHO can sound, the UN health agency said.