The World Health Organization declared the monkeypox virus (Mpox) a public health emergency of international concern on Wednesday, for the second time in two years, following the outbreak of the epidemic from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to neighboring countries.
Designating a disease outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern” is WHO’s highest level of alert and can speed up research, funding, international public health measures and cooperation to contain the outbreak.
The outbreak in Congo began with an imported strain known as I. But a new variant known as IB appears to spread more easily through contact, including sexual contact.
The variant has spread from Congo to neighboring countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, prompting the WHO to take action.
“It is clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
There was a significant increase in the number of reported infections last year, with more than 14,000 cases reported this year, and 524 deaths related to the disease, Ghebreyesus added.
Thousands of injuries
Earlier this week, Africa’s top public health agency declared a monkeypox emergency on the continent after warning that the viral infection was spreading at an alarming rate.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said more than 17,000 suspected monkeypox cases and 517 deaths have been reported on the continent so far this year, a 160% increase in cases compared to the same period last year. A total of 13 countries have reported cases.
Monkeypox is most commonly transmitted through homosexuality and skin-to-skin contact, as well as sharing bedding, towels, and clothing.
Symptoms of this virus include a rash, malaise, fever, and swollen lymph nodes, as well as chills, headache, and muscle pain.
A different variant of monkeypox spread globally in 2022, largely due to homosexuality, prompting the WHO to declare a public health emergency that ended 10 months later.