World Health Organization Declares New Mpox Outbreak a Global Public Health Emergency
The current outbreak has infected more than 14,000 people and spread to 13 different African countries.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that mpox (formerly called monkeypox) is a global public health emergency, according to multiple sources. The viral disease is spreading rapidly in African countries, making it the second time within 3 years that an mpox epidemic was designated as a global emergency by WHO.
In July 2022, an mpox outbreak affected nearly 100,000 people—the majority of which were gay and bisexual men—in 116 different countries, killing about 200 individuals. The threat now, according to The New York Times, is more significant, with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) alone reporting more than 14,000 mpox cases and 524 deaths. Those who are most at risk include women and children under the age of 15. The current outbreak has spread through 13 African countries, a few of which had no previously reported cases of mpox. The current viral type has not surfaced outside Africa, and there are over 17,500 presumed and confirmed mpox cases.
“The detection and rapid spread of a new clade of mpox in eastern DRC, its detection in neighboring countries that had not previously reported mpox, and the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, MSc, PhD, director general of WHO.
Because WHO designated mpox a public health emergency of international concern, member countries are urged to begin preparing for the virus’s appearance and share vaccines, treatments, and other key resources with underserved countries. Experts note that until recently, mpox spread primarily through the consumption of contaminated meat or close contact with animal or people who were infected. The current version of mpox that has been circulating in Congo is more significant, with a death rate of approximately 3% compared to the 0.2% death rate during the 2022 outbreak.
Because of the rising numbers, 2 mpox vaccines—LC16 (KM Biologics) and Jynneos (Bavarian Nordic) — were approved in Congo under emergency use listings; however, there is currently no immunization plan established. Additionally, there is only a small fraction of vaccines available (15,000 Jynneos doses were donated) but it is not enough for the 10 million doses needed to sufficiently control the outbreak. As of August 2022, these vaccines were not available in pharmacies.
The CDC has reportedly urged health care providers and the public in the US to be alert for the virus. Symptoms of the infection can include fever, respiratory symptoms, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, as well as rashes on the hands, feet, chest, mouth, or genitals. Additionally, it is believed that mpox can spread through skin-to-skin contact via open or oozing wounds related to mpox infection.
