New monkeypox cases have tripled in Europe since June 15, the WHO regional chief says

Europe is at the center of the monkeypox outbreak — and it must act quickly to prevent the virus from becoming established, the WHO says. Here, a medical laboratory technician works with suspected monkeypox samples to be tested at La Paz hospital in Madrid, Spain, last month. (Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images)

Monkeypox is continuously reaching new parts of Europe, where the number of new cases has tripled since June 15 to more than 4,500 laboratory confirmed cases, the World Health Organization's regional director for Europe, Dr. Hans Kluge, said in a statement on Friday.

Europe accounts for nearly 90% of all confirmed and reported cases worldwide since mid-May, Kluge said, adding that 31 countries and areas in the region have now reported at least one monkeypox case.