More deadly MPOX strain spreads to more countries, putting authorities on alert

CNN
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Cases of the more deadly MPOX strain have been confirmed in four African countries, raising alarm among health authorities around the world.

According to the World Health Organization, infection levels of monkeypox (previously known as monkeypox) in the Democratic Republic of Congo have risen to more than 14,000 reported cases and 511 deaths, with the disease spreading to four neighbouring countries – Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda – that had previously reported no cases..

WHO officials said Wednesday they would convene an emergency committee soon to determine whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Health Advice On Wednesday, it advised doctors to “raise the suspicion of MPOX” in people who have recently travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo or neighbouring countries to address the “risk of further spread”.

Mpox is a viral disease that spreads easily from person to person and from infected animals. It can be transmitted through close contact, such as touching, kissing or sexual contact, as well as through contaminated materials such as sheets, clothing or needles, according to the UK Department of Health. WhoSymptoms include fever, painful rash, headache, muscle and back pain, loss of energy and swollen lymph nodes.

The disease has been found for decades, mainly in Central and West Africa, but in 2022 it began spreading in Europe and North America.

Mpox is characterized by two genetic clades, I and II. Clades are broad groups of viruses that have evolved over decades and are genetically and clinically distinct.

Lineage Ib, which has been circulating in the Democratic Republic of Congo for years, causes more severe disease and is the source of the current outbreak. Although lineage Ib is more deadly, there is no evidence that it is more transmissible, according to Dr Rosamund Lewis, technical lead for the WHO's global MPOX response.

According to the CDC, the global outbreak that began in 2022 was caused by clade II.

Since January 2023, the Democratic Republic of Congo has reported the highest number of suspected MPOX cases of type I lineage on record, with more than 22,000 cases and over 1,200 deaths. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference on Wednesday that the number of cases matches the number reported over the course of last year.

Lewis said the risk of further spread in the region was medium for the general population, but high for the Democratic Republic of Congo. The WHO assesses the risk on a four-level scale – low, medium, high or very high – and does not currently recommend any travel restrictions to affected countries.

No cases of lineage I MPOX have been reported outside of Central and East Africa, and the CDC has classified the risk of introduction into the U.S. as “very low.” However, the agency continues to recommend MPOX vaccination for people who have been exposed to or are at high risk of contracting the virus.

WHO has begun the emergency use listing process for both approved MPO vaccines, aiming to speed up access to the vaccine for lower-income countries that have not yet approved it in their own countries. Two countries in the region, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, have approved the MPO vaccine for emergency use.

The CDC recommends that anyone who has traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo or neighboring countries in the past 21 days and develops an unknown rash seek immediate medical attention and avoid contact with others.

Tedros said a comprehensive international response was needed to stop the outbreak spreading, and WHO had developed a regional response plan costing $15 million and had released $1 million from the WHO Contingencies Fund to support the response, he said.

The organization also called for international support and cooperation to contain the spread of the infection.

“I was honestly surprised that there was no funding put into international control, given the massive outbreak around the world,” said Dr Michael Ryan, executive director of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme. “We need to tap into our emergency reserve fund again to start this process. It's really important that we understand this virus better. This is a containable virus. With the right response at the right time, it can be contained very easily.”