European festivals should not be scrapped due to monkeypox: WHO

The World Health Organization said Friday that European summer festivals should not be cancelled due to the monkeypox outbreak but should instead manage the risk of amplifying the virus. 

A surge of monkeypox cases has been detected since May outside of the West and Central African countries where the disease has long been endemic. Most of the new cases have been in Western Europe.

More than 3,200 confirmed cases and one death have now been reported to the WHO from 48 countries in total this year.

"We have all the summer festivals, concerts and many other events just starting in the northern hemisphere," Amaia Artazcoz, the WHO's mass gatherings technical officer, told a webinar entitled "Monkeypox outbreak and mass gatherings: Protecting yourself at festivals and parties".

The events "may represent a conducive environment for transmission", she said.