In view of the unusual spread of monkeypox, the World Health Organization (WHO) is urging various measures but sees no reason for alarm.

"It is not a disease the general public should be worried of. It's not like Covid," WHO expert Sylvie Briand said at a briefing for WHO member countries in Geneva on Friday.

Nonetheless, countries should quickly register those infected and isolate those affected. The WHO assumes that most cases will be mild. However, pregnant women, children, and people with weak immune systems have a higher risk of a severe infection.

"We have a good window of opportunity to stop the transmission now," said Briand. But it is unclear how large the stocks of smallpox vaccines are, which should also help against monkeypox, he said.

The WHO expects the number of cases to continue to rise. Monkeypox has now occurred in more than 20 countries, it said.

"Currently we don't know whether we are just seeing the peak of the iceberg," Briand said. So far, there are no clear findings on the cause of the current development.