Image source, Reuters
Caption, In Africa, 15,000 cases of mpox have been detected so far this year.Article information
- Author, Editorial Team
- Author’s title, BBC News Mundo
August 14, 2024
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on Wednesday the outbreak of mpox (monkeypox) affecting several African countries as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).
The decision was made unanimously by a WHO Emergency Committee amid concerns that a more deadly and transmissible strain of the virus (previously known as monkeypox virus) has reached previously unaffected African regions.
On Tuesday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared the outbreak a public health emergency of continental security, after recording 15,000 cases and 461 deaths from this virus only in 2024, representing a 160% increase in diagnoses and a 19% increase in deaths compared to the same period last year.
“The detection and rapid spread of a new clade (variant) of mpox in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, its detection in neighboring countries that had not previously reported it, and the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very concerning,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at a press conference on Wednesday.
“A coordinated international response is essential to stop this outbreak and save lives,” he stated.
Most cases are concentrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo, although cases have also been detected in countries such as Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda.
The new variant, known as clade 1b, is more severe than the one that caused the WHO to declare an international alert in 2022 that lasted until May 2023.
Under international health regulations, the declaration of an international emergency requires countries around the world to take measures to curb the spread of the virus.
“The alert implies that the affected countries must work more closely with international health organizations and neighboring countries to coordinate their responses, exchange data and research, and participate in global efforts to develop vaccines and treatments,” a WHO spokesperson told BBC Mundo.
Deployment of Experts
The mpox virus belongs to the orthopoxvirus family and was first detected in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is considered endemic in some Central and West African countries.
To support the affected countries in the African region, the WHO is ramping up its response by “deploying experts, including epidemiologists and anthropologists, and providing initial funding to accelerate outbreak response measures,” the organization stated.
Additionally, the WHO is already working to mobilize additional funding to strengthen control measures.
Caption, After infection, the first symptoms typically take between 5 and 21 days to appear.
Symptoms of monkeypox are similar to those of smallpox, though somewhat milder. They begin with fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, and fatigue.
The main difference between the symptoms of human smallpox, eradicated in 1980, and mpox is that the latter causes lymph nodes to swell (lymphadenopathy), while the former does not.
It is normal for a rash to develop that often begins on the face and then spreads to other parts of the body, particularly the hands and feet. Soon, the rash changes and goes through different stages before forming a crust and eventually falling off.
Symptoms and Transmission
Most cases of mpox are mild and resolve within a few weeks, although some cases can be more severe and fatal.
After infection, the first symptoms typically take between 5 and 21 days to appear.
A rash may appear, normally on the face, and spread to other parts of the body, especially the hands and the soles of the feet.
The rash, which is often itchy and painful, changes and goes through different stages before forming a crust that later falls off.
Infection usually resolves after 14 to 21 days.
The UK Health Security Agency (Ukhsa) notes that, initially, the symptoms of the disease typically resemble those of the flu and include:
- fever
- headache
- muscle aches
- back pain
- chills
- exhaustion
- swollen lymph nodes
Being alert to symptoms is key because mpox, unlike COVID, does not transmit before people develop symptoms.
Potential transmission from one person to another does not only occur through sexual contact.
The Ukhsa explains that transmission can occur through any of the following:
- contact with clothing used by an infected person (including bedding or towels)
- direct contact with lesions or scabs on the infected person’s skin
- coughing or sneezing from an infected person
There are two vaccines for mpox infections recommended by the WHO and approved by national health authorities in various countries.
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