A senior World Health Organization official said that countries should take quick steps to contain the spread of monkeypox and share data about their vaccine stockpiles.

Iran PressEurope: Monkeypox is a usually mild viral infection that is endemic in parts of the west and central Africa.

It spreads chiefly through close contact and until the recent outbreak, was rarely seen in other parts of the world, which is why the recent emergence of cases in Europe, the United States, and other areas has raised alarms.

"We think that if we put in place the right measures now we probably can contain this easily," Sylvie Briand, WHO director for Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness, told the UN agency's annual assembly.

"For us, we think that the key priority currently is trying to contain this transmission in non-endemic countries," Briand told a technical briefing for member states.

So far, there are about 300 confirmed or suspected cases in around 20 countries where the virus was not previously circulating.

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