WHO Declares Global Emergency Over New Mpox Strain
On Wednesday, the World Health Organization declared the mpox outbreak in Africa a global public health emergency, raising its highest level of alert over the escalating crisis.
Concerned by the rising cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the virus’s spread to neighboring countries, the WHO quickly convened a meeting of experts to assess the outbreak.
“Today, the emergency committee met and advised me that the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced at a press conference.
A PHEIC, the highest level of alert under the International Health Regulations, is legally binding for 196 countries.
Alarming Spread of New Mpox Clade in Eastern DRC and Beyond
“The emergence and rapid spread of a new mpox clade in eastern DRC, along with its detection in neighboring countries that previously had no cases, and the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is deeply concerning,” said Tedros.
A coordinated international response is clearly essential to contain these outbreaks and save lives.
“This is an issue that should concern us all.“
The UN health agency’s decision follows the African Union’s health authority, which declared a public health emergency just a day earlier due to the expanding outbreak.
Tedros noted that DR Congo has already reported over 14,000 cases and 524 deaths this year, surpassing last year’s totals.
“The rapid emergence and spread of clade 1b in DRC, particularly through sexual networks, and its detection in neighboring countries like Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda is particularly alarming,” he said.
Emergency Committee Warns of Potential Underreporting in Mpox Outbreak
Dimie Ogoina, who led the emergency committee, stated that all 15 members agreed that the surge in mpox cases was an extraordinary event. He expressed concerns that the situation in Africa might be “just the tip of the iceberg” due to inadequate surveillance, leaving the full extent of the outbreak unclear.
Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, emphasized, “We can stop the spread of mpox with a coordinated effort.” However, she highlighted the need for a better understanding of the virus’s epidemiology and transmission patterns to optimize the use of the limited vaccine supply.
WHO immunization experts recommend two vaccines for mpox.
Previously known as monkeypox, the virus was first identified in humans in 1970 in what is now the DRC.
Mpox is an infectious disease caused by a virus that is transmitted from infected animals to humans but can also spread between humans through close physical contact.
The illness leads to fever, muscle aches, and large boil-like skin lesions.
This marks the second consecutive PHEIC for mpox, though it targets a different, more lethal strain of the virus.
In May 2022, mpox cases surged globally, primarily affecting gay and bisexual men due to the clade 2b subclade.
Previous Mpox Public Health Emergency
The WHO declared a public health emergency that lasted from July 2022 to May 2023. This outbreak, which has now mostly subsided, resulted in around 140 deaths out of approximately 90,000 cases.
Since September 2023, the clade 1b subclade has been rapidly spreading in the DRC, causing more severe illness and a higher fatality rate compared to clade 2b.
A PHEIC has only been declared seven times since 2009, for H1N1 swine flu, poliovirus, Ebola (twice), Zika virus, Covid-19, and mpox.
Marion Koopmans, director of the Pandemic and Disaster Management Centre at Erasmus University Rotterdam, noted that a PHEIC declaration raises global awareness. However, she emphasized that the main priorities remain unchanged: investing in diagnostic capacity, public health response, treatment support, and vaccination. She also cautioned that this will be challenging given the limited resources in the DRC and its neighboring countries.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies announced it is intensifying preparedness efforts across Africa, particularly in the severely impacted eastern DRC. The IFRC stated that its extensive network is ready to “play a vital role in controlling the spread of the disease, even in the hard-to-reach areas where the need is greatest.”
Read the original article on: Science Alert
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