The World Health Organization held an emergency meeting after the number of monkeypox infections in Europe topped 100, while the British Health Safety Agency said the disease had spread significantly among “homosexuals and bisexuals” in both the United Kingdom and Europe.

And the Spanish Ministry of Health said that the total number of people infected with the disease in Spain has reached 39 people, which is the country with the highest number of cases in the world.

And British health authorities have revealed that they suspect monkeypox transmission through gay sexual relations, with British Health Security Agency Chief Medical Adviser Susan Hopkins confirming that a significant proportion of recent cases of monkeypox have been reported in the UK and Europe between them. She added, that the UK is expecting new cases to be discovered in the coming days, urging healthcare workers to “up their vigilance”.

Earlier, the UK Department of Health confirmed that 20 cases of monkeypox had been identified, including the 11 announced on Friday.

And 11 countries in Europe and North America have announced detections of monkeypox infections, including Italy, Portugal, Sweden, France, as well as Germany, Belgium, Canada and the United States. The World Health Organization is more cautious about the outbreak.

Australia confirmed the first case of monkeypox on Friday morning in Victoria, while another case is still under investigation in Sydney.

The disease is transmitted through saliva, nasal discharge and the resulting rash, as well as through the use of shared items such as bed linen and towels, as well as through sexual intercourse, especially abnormal.