Mpox, or monkeypox, was previously restricted to central and western Africa. But in 2022, its spread beyond the continent was classified as a public health emergency.
A public health emergency has been declared due to the spread of monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring African countries
This week, the WHO decided to raise awareness of monkeypox and step up measures to combat the spread of the virus.
What is mpox?
Mpox is caused by a virus belonging to the poxvirus family. It was first isolated in 1958 from monkeys used for research.
The first human case of mpox was recorded in 1970 in what is now the DRC. The virus is currently found in central and western Africa.
In 2022, the virus caused a global outbreak of monkeypox. The virus has also reached Europe. The virus has two subtypes – clade I and clade II. At the moment, there is an outbreak of clade I in African regions. In this case, the disease is more severe.
Now, a new strain – clade Ib – has appeared in the eastern part of the DRC and some other African countries. It can be transmitted sexually.
How many cases of the disease?
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reported that the number of cases of mpox on the continent has exceeded 17,000. Most of them are in the DRC. It is noted that in rural areas, testing of the population is limited, so the real number of cases may be higher than in official reports.
According to Africa CDC, the disease has claimed the lives of more than 500 people. Most of the deaths also occurred in the DRC.
At least 13 African countries are affected by the epidemic, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
On Thursday, Sweden registered the first case of monkeypox outside Africa. Stockholm clarified that the patient undergoing treatment was infected in Africa.
What are the symptoms of mpox?
People with smallpox often develop a rash. It can be located on the arms, legs, chest, face, mouth or near the genitals. The rash can go through different stages and look like pimples or blisters.
Other symptoms can include fever, headache, chills, physical weakness, swollen lymph nodes, muscle or back pain and/or respiratory symptoms.
A WHO report published earlier this week said that the most commonly reported symptom is rash, followed by fever.
How will the WHO declaration affect the situation?
“This is a positive response because it will lead to active government action,” said Jaime Garcia-Iglesias, a research fellow at the Centre for Biomedicine at the University of Edinburgh.
He noted that the outbreak was fuelled by a shortage of diagnostics and vaccines in Africa.
“The WHO declaration is important because it will galvanize efforts. It will force governments to act,” García-Iglesias said. He added that countries need to fund medical research, conduct more diagnostics, and better inform the population about the virus and its consequences.
How can mpox be prevented?
According to Jaime García-Iglesias, all parties need to prepare for a new crisis.
Governments need to engage with civil society organizations and community leaders now. Efforts also need to be stepped up, especially in the area of sexual health, if it turns out that the infection is being transmitted sexually. We don’t know yet
Experts also called for a global response to the outbreak, rather than stockpiling vaccines, as was the case during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the WHO, there are two existing vaccines used to treat smallpox, and access to them needs to be expanded.