The World Health Organization (WHO) will convene an emergency committee this Wednesday, following an increase in cases of monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The new strain of the virus being more contagious and more dangerous, global health authorities are questioning whether an international state of health emergency should be declared!
Currently, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is the center of an unprecedented epidemic outbreak. The virus in question: monkeypox or Monkeypox, referred to as MPox, is an infectious disease endemicendemic to Africa. Nearly 14,000 cases have been reported this year in the DRC, out of approximately 37,000 cases in 15 African countries since January 2022. Cases are now overflowing into neighboring countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, which had not previously reported cases.
The new viral strain is more dangerous
What worries the World Health Organization (WHO) is the emergenceemergence of a virus strain reportedly more dangerous than the one that caused a global epidemicepidemic in 2022, affecting over 100,000 people in around a hundred countries. As reported in a study published in Nature Medicine, researchers from the National Institute of Biomedical Research in Kinshasa discovered that this new strain, named 1b, belongs to cladeclade 1, identified as more virulent than clade 2 – to which the strain responsible for the 2022 epidemic belongs.
Sexual transmission, higher mortality…
Another novelty for a PMox outbreak: the virus transmission is mainly sexual, whereas it has traditionally been observed primarily in children under 15 years old. This strain seems to particularly affect sex workers and their clients, indicating increased transmissibility during unprotected intercourse. Finally, this outbreak is also marked by a higher mortality rate, with approximately 3% in the DRC, significantly higher than previous outbreaks which showed a rate around 0.2%. This alarming situation calls for international monitoring and strengthened local public health measures.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is convening an emergency committee amid rising cases of monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). As this newly identified strain proves to be more contagious and dangerous, global health officials are considering declaring a public health emergency of international concern.
The DRC is currently experiencing an unprecedented outbreak of monkeypox, or MPox, an infectious disease endemic to Africa. This year alone, nearly 14,000 cases have been reported in the DRC, contributing to a total of approximately 37,000 cases across 15 African nations since January 2022. Alarmingly, the outbreak is spilling over into neighboring countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, which previously had reported no cases.
Emergence of a More Dangerous Viral Strain
WHAT keeps the WHO on high alert is the emergence of a viral strain considered more lethal than the one involved in the global epidemic of 2022, which affected over 100,000 individuals across around 100 countries. Researchers from the National Institute of Biomedical Research in Kinshasa have identified this new strain, labeled 1b, as belonging to clade 1, identified as more virulent than clade 2, linked to the prior epidemic.
Changing Dynamics of Transmission
One of the critical developments in the current MPox outbreak is its shift in transmission dynamics. Previously observed primarily in children under 15, this strain predominantly transmits through sexual contact. It appears to particularly impact sex workers and their clients, indicating a notable increase in transmission rates during unprotected sexual encounters. Moreover, the current outbreak is characterized by a higher mortality rate of approximately 3% in the DRC, significantly more than the 0.2% seen in previous outbreaks. This worrisome trend highlights the urgent need for international surveillance and strengthened public health measures at the local level.