May 24, 2022: According to the global health agency, The World Health Organization confirms 92 cases and 28 suspected cases of monkeypox, with the latest outbreaks reported in 12 countries where the disease is not typically found.

According to the WHO, the outbreaks are unusual because they occur in countries where the virus is not endemic. The cases will likely be reported in the upcoming days as surveillance broadens.

“WHO is working with the affected countries and others to expand disease surveillance to find and support people who may be affected and provide guidance on how to manage the disease,” the agency said in a statement Friday.

Monkeypox is found in Central and West African rainforests, where animals that carry the virus live, according to the WHO. According to the German military, European nations are confirming dozens of cases in the continent’s largest outbreak of monkeypox ever. The U.S. has confirmed one point, and Canada has confirmed two.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, monkeypox is caused by a virus similar to smallpox but is not as severe. However, according to the CDC, monkeypox can result in death in almost 1 in 10 people who contract the disease based on observations in Africa.

According to the WHO and the CDC, the smallpox vaccine is 85% effective at preventing monkeypox based on observational studies in Africa.

Monkeypox is through close contact with people, animals, or material that is affected by the virus. It can enter the body through skin cuts, the respiratory tract, the eyes, nose, and mouth. According to the CDC, human-to-human transmission is believed to occur through respiratory drops, which is through the face to face contact as the droplets cannot travel more than a few feet.

According to the CDC, monkeypox starts with symptoms similar to the flu, which include fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, exhaustion, and inflated lymph nodes. Within one to three days of the onset of fever, patients develop a rash that starts on the face and spreads to different body parts. Usually, the illness stays for about two to four weeks.

“As monkeypox spreads through contacting closely, the response should focus on the people affected and their close contacts,” the WHO said. Health-care workers, members of the house, and sexual partners of people carrying the virus will likely be affected by the disease.