The World Health Organization will convene an emergency committee on Thursday next week to assess whether the monkey epidemic is an international public health concern.

This is the highest level of warning issued by the UN agency, which currently only applies to the COVID-19 pandemic and polio.

The World Health Organization says 1,600 confirmed and 1,500 suspected cases of monkey pox have been reported in 39 countries this year, including where the virus normally spreads.

The monkey flower is endemic in some parts of Africa, but in recent months more cases have been reported both in these countries and in the rest of the world. The virus causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions and is spread by close contact.

According to the World Health Organization, it is fatal in 3 to 6% of cases, although no deaths have been reported from outside Africa. Most of the deaths this year were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhano Gebreiusus said it was time to consider strengthening the response as the virus becomes more unusual, more countries are affected and international coordination is needed.

“We do not want to wait until the situation is out of control”, - said Ibrahim Sose Folm, WHO’s Director of Emergency Situations in Africa.