Image source, Reuters
Caption: 15,000 cases of mpox have been detected in Africa so far this year.Article information
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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 taken unanimously by a WHO Emergency Committee amid concerns that a more deadly and transmissible strain of the virus (formerly known as monkeypox) had reached previously unaffected African regions.
On Tuesday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared the outbreak a continental public health emergency, after having recorded 15,000 cases and 461 deaths from the virus in 2024 alone, 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 mpox clade in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, its detection in neighbouring countries where it has not been previously reported, and the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is of great concern,” WHO Director-General Adhanom Tedros Ghebreyesus said at a press conference on Wednesday.
“A coordinated international response is essential to stop this outbreak and save lives,” he said.
Most cases are concentrated in the Democratic Republic of the 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 was in effect until May 2023.
Under international health regulations, the declaration of an international emergency requires countries around the world to take measures to stop the spread of the virus.
“The alert means that affected countries must work more closely with international health organisations and neighbouring 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 countries in central and western Africa.
To support affected countries in the African region, WHO is scaling up the response by “deploying experts, including epidemiologists and anthropologists, and providing seed funding to accelerate outbreak response measures,” the agency said.
In addition, WHO is already working to mobilize additional funds to strengthen control measures.
Photo caption: After infection, the first symptoms usually take between 5 and 21 days to appear.
The symptoms of monkeypox are similar to those of smallpox, although somewhat milder. They begin with fever, headache, muscle aches, chills and fatigue.
The main difference between the symptoms of smallpox, which was eradicated in 1980, and MPOX is that the latter causes the lymph nodes to swell (lymphadenopathy), while the former does not.
It is normal to develop a rash that often starts on the face and then spreads to other parts of the body, particularly the hands and feet. After a short time, the rash changes and goes through different stages before forming a scab and eventually falling off.
Symptoms and contagion
Most cases of mpox are mild and resolve within a few weeks, although some cases can be more severe and lead to death.
After infection, the first symptoms usually take between 5 and 21 days to appear.
A rash may appear, usually on the face, and spread to other parts of the body, especially the hands and soles of the feet.
The rash, which is often irritating and painful, changes and goes through different stages before forming a scab that later falls off.
The infection usually ends after 14 to 21 days.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says that the symptoms of the disease are often similar to those of the flu at first and include:
- fever
- headache
- muscle pains
- backache
- shivers
- exhaustion
- swollen lymph nodes
Being aware of symptoms is key, because MPOX, unlike COVID, is not transmitted before people develop symptoms.
The potential transmission from one person to another does not only occur through contact during sex.
The Ukhsa explains that the spread can occur through any:
- Contact with clothing worn by an infected person (including bedding or towels)
- Direct contact with lesions or scabs on the patient’s skin
- coughing or sneezing of an infected person
There are two vaccines for mpox infections recommended by WHO and approved by national health authorities in various countries.
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