WHO holds emergency meeting over 'monkeypox'

The World Health Organization will hold an emergency meeting due to the increasing number of monkeypox cases among humans, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday.

"Given the spread of monkeypox outside the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the potential for it to spread within and beyond Africa, WHO has decided to establish an Emergency Committee to advise on whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern," Ghebreyesus told reporters.

Ghebreyesus added that the committee "will meet as soon as possible, and the meeting will consist of independent experts in various relevant fields from around the world."

Monkeypox is a rare infectious disease common in remote areas of central and western Africa. Symptoms include nausea, fever, rash, itching, and muscle pain.