THE WORLD HEALTH Organization (WHO) has released data showing that the global total of monkeypox cases has risen to 3413, 1310 more than its last update on 17 June.

The UK had the highest number of confirmed cases at 793, followed by Germany with 521 and Spain with 520.

These three countries represent more than half of the total cases across the globe.

The vast majority of cases have been recorded in Europe (86%), followed by the Americas (11%), Africa (2%) and the Eastern Mediterranean region and Western Pacific region which have less than 1% of the total cases each.

Portugal had the fourth highest amount of confirmed cases at 317, followed by France (277), Canada (210) and the United States with 142.

50 countries or territories now have confirmed monkeypox cases however the WHO has said that the amount of cases may be much higher, due to Western countries struggling to identify a disease which is usually confined to West and Central African countries. 

“The actual number of cases is likely to be underestimated, in part due to the lack of early clinical recognition of an infection previously known in only a handful of countries,” the organization’s statement read.

HSE figures released last week put the total of cases in Ireland at 28, while all cases so far are among the male population and most are between the ages of 25 and 44.

The WHO has strongly encouraged countries to “review the evidence and develop policy recommendations for the use of vaccines as relevant to the national context.”

It also called on countries to share any data from clinical studies on vaccines and stated that an antiviral drug called Tecorivimat was being studied and expected to be safe for protecting against monkeypox.