Outbreaks of endemic diseases becoming more frequent, WHO warns

STORY: As climate change contributes to rapidly changing weather conditions like drought, animals and humans are changing their behavior, including food-seeking habits. As a result, "ecologic fragility" diseases that typically circulate in animals are increasingly jumping into humans, said Ryan.

"Unfortunately, that ability to amplify that disease and move it on within our communities is increasing - so both disease emergence and disease amplification factors have increased."

Speaking at the same briefing, the Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency had received reports of more than 550 confirmed cases of the viral disease from 30 countries outside of Africa since the first report in early May.