Monkeypox infections have now spread to Israel and Switzerland taking the total number of nations reporting outbreaks of the disease to 14.

Both countries said they identified one infected person who had recently travelled, but Israel said it was investigating other suspected cases as well, according to a BBC report.

More than 80 cases have been confirmed in Europe, the US, Canada and Australia.

The World Health Organization has said another 50 suspected cases are being investigated and warned that more infections are likely to be confirmed.

Monkeypox is most common in remote tropical forests of Central and West Africa and its spread to western countries has come as a surprise.

After the outbreak was first identified in the UK, the virus began to be detected across Europe – with public health agencies in Spain, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Italy and Sweden all confirming cases.

The UK Health Security Agency has identified 20 cases so far and its chief medical adviser Dr Susan Hopkins told the BBC's Sunday Morning programme: "We are detecting more cases on a daily basis."

She said the virus is now spreading in the community – with cases detected which have no contact with anyone who has visited West Africa, where the disease is endemic.

But the risk to the general population remains "extremely low", with cases so far mostly found in some urban areas and among gay or bisexual men, Dr Hopkins said.

Several countries have started stocking smallpox vaccines, which are about 85% effective in preventing monkeypox infection because the two viruses are similar.

The illness is usually mild and most people recover after a few weeks, according to the Britain’s National Health Service.

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