The World Health Organization (WHO) reported one death and 5,322 confirmed monkey chickenpox infections in the world so far, according to a spokeswoman.

"The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to call on countries to pay special attention to monkey pox infections to reduce infection."

A second meeting of the World Health Organization's Emergency Committee on the subject is currently not planned, after its first meeting on June 23.

Last week, the organization considered that the monkey pox outbreak, although of grave concern, "does not currently constitute a public health emergency of international concern", referring to the highest alert level that the Public Health Organization can declare.

The number of infections has risen sharply in recent days, with the latest census dating back to June 30, representing a 55.9 percent increase compared with the previous number eight days ago, with 3,413 infections.

Europe remains by far the worst affected by the virus with 85 percent of infections, while it is spreading in 53 countries.

An extraordinary increase in monkey chickenpox infections has been observed since May outside West and Central Africa, where the virus is endemic.

The majority of recorded infections are related to gay men, but "other vulnerable groups are also threatened" according to the organization's spokeswoman Fadel Shayp, who explained: "Few infections have been recorded in children and people with weakened immune systems", according to AFP.

Chickenpox has been a known disease since 1970 and is part of the smallpox family, which was eradicated some 40 years ago but is less dangerous than it is.

Chickenpox is a rare disease caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected animals, which initially causes a high body temperature and rapidly develops into a rash with crust formation, is more often benign and the patient is generally cured after two or three weeks.