Monkeypox will not cause a pandemic.

The World Health Organization believes the monkeypox outbreak will not result in a pandemic, but is debating whether it should be classified as an emergency.

The sudden increase in cases has perplexed experts, who are unsure whether infected people who do not exhibit symptoms can transmit the disease.

Monkeypox is a mild illness that spreads through close contact and causes flu-like symptoms as well as pus-filled skin lesions.

In May, more than 300 suspected and confirmed cases of the disease were reported, mostly in Europe.

The WHO is considering whether to classify the outbreak as a “potential public health emergency of international concern,” or PHEIC.

A similar declaration, as was made for COVID-19 and Ebola, would aid in the acceleration of research and funding to combat the disease.

Rosamund Lewis, WHO Health Emergencies Programme technical lead for monkeypox, was asked if it had the potential to become a pandemic.