The number of people in the Netherlands with confirmed cases of monkeypox has risen to 167, compared with 95 six days ago, public health institute RIVM said on Wednesday.

The long incubation period is making it difficult to calculate how far the infection has spread and a new update will follow on Friday, the RIVM said.

RIVM experts are meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss the situation and may make recommendations later in the week, broadcaster NOS reported.

In the Netherlands, the virus is predominantly an issue among men who have sex with men and in Germany, the Robert Koch Institute had recommended vaccinating at risk groups.

Virologists told NOS that there is no great cause for concern, given that this variant of the monkeypox virus does not result in serious illness and is much less contagious than coronavirus. It also needs close contact to spread, epidemiologist Patricia Bruijning told broadcaster NOS.