WHO says more than 18,000 cases of monkeypox globally, most in Europe

There have been more than 18,000 cases of monkeypox reported globally from 78 countries, with the majority in Europe, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.

The WHO declared the outbreak a global health emergency on Saturday.

So far, 98% of cases outside the countries in Africa where the virus is endemic have been reported in men who have sex with men, the WHO said.

Its Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged that group to consider reducing numbers of sexual partners and swapping contact details with any new partners.

"This is an outbreak that can be stopped... the best way to do that is