The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned on Monday of a rise in mpox infections in West Africa and cautioned that the virus could spread undetected to other regions.

As a result, the public health emergency declared for the disease remains in effect, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced in Geneva, following a recommendation from independent panel of health experts.

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is transmitted through close physical contact. While infections are typically mild, causing fever and a rash, they can be fatal, particularly in young children and people with weakened immune systems.

The WHO declared mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) in August 2024, the UN agency’s highest alert level.

The designation is intended to spur governments into action and mobilize resources. However, the WHO acknowledged “ongoing operational challenges” in surveillance, diagnosis and funding.

Since the start of 2024, more than 37,000 confirmed cases of mpox have been reported across 25 countries, with 125 deaths.

The Democratic Republic of Congo remains the epicentre of the outbreak, accounting for 60% of global cases. Between 2,000 and 3,000 new suspected cases are being reported there each week. Uganda, Burundi and Sierra Leone are also experiencing high case numbers.

Since the WHO last extended the emergency declaration in February, mpox has been reported for the first time in Albania, Ethiopia, Malawi, North Macedonia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Togo.