The World Health Organization called on European countries to take "urgent action" to curb the outbreak of monkeypox in Europe, as the number of infections increased threefold in the past two weeks.

In a statement, the organization called on European countries to “intensify their efforts in the coming weeks and months to avoid the endemicity of monkeypox in a larger geographical area.”

Europe has recorded over 4,500 confirmed infections, or 90 percent of the worldwide counted cases since mid-May.