2023-12-24 06:15:46
The MPOX virus is spreading rapidly in Congo, with more than 1,000 cases reported every month, raising concerns of a potential new global health crisis. Initially, the virus began to spread internationally from Africa in 2022, with Europe being particularly affected. The World Health Organization (WHO) had declared an emergency, which was lifted a year later. However, the disease is now spreading rapidly again.
According to Rosamund Lewis, a WHO specialist, a “rapid” increase in cases has been detected in Congo, with outbreaks reported in some Asian countries, posing a risk to people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), neighboring countries, and around the world.
MPOX, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral infection that can be transmitted from animals to humans and can also be transmitted through close contact, such as sexual intercourse. The disease, originally found in rodents in West and Central Africa, poses both mild and severe symptoms and has resulted in fatalities.
Authorities in Kinshasa have reported over 13,000 suspected cases this year, with over 600 deaths. What’s particularly concerning is that for the first time, more women than men are affected, which may be related to sex work in Congo. The WHO has sent a team of experts to the Central African country and is working intensively on the development of a vaccine.
The emergency status for MPOX was lifted in May 2023, after the disease left Africa and spread primarily in Europe, affecting primarily men who had sexual contact with men. However, the number of reported cases has been increasing again, with over 92,000 cases recorded in 117 different countries since May 2022. Asian countries such as Japan, Vietnam, China, and Indonesia are particularly affected, with increasing outbreaks being reported.
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