The World Health Organisation (WHO) has, for the second time in two years, classified mpox as a global public health threat. This follows an escalation of the viral infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has now extended to countries nearby.
Close contact can lead to mpox transmission. Symptoms typically involve globules filled with pus on the body and an onset of symptoms likened to the flu. In uncommon instances, it can cause death.
Appointing an infection spread as a “public health emergency of international concern” or PHEIC – the highest warning status by the WHO – can expedite the processes of research, funding, and global public health measures and partnerships aimed to curb the disease.
The Congo outbreak was initiated by the local spread of a previously known strain, termed as clade I. However, a freshly identified variant, clade Ib, seems to transmit more readily through routine close contact, encompassing sexual interactions. This strain has gone from Congo to countries in its vicinity, namely Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, prompting the WHO’s intervention.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of WHO, emphasised the necessity of a global collective response to halt these outbreaks and conserve lives.
Earlier in the week, Africa’s apex public health organisation alerted of an mpox emergency for the continent, following a distressing warning about the swift spread of the virus.
Recorded cases for this year so far notify of more than 17,000 suspected mpox infections, with 517 reported fatalities, as informed by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. This denotes a 160% surge in cases compared to the corresponding period in the previous year, with reports collected from 13 countries.
In 2022, the global spread of a separate version of the mpox virus, classified as clade IIb, was substantially via sexual contact among males having sexual relations with men. This event engendered the WHO’s declaration of a public health emergency, which lasted for 10 months. – Reuters
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