Joe McConnell
African monkeypox (MPOX), a highly infectious disease once called monkeypox, has been declared a public health emergency in Africa by the continent’s top health agency.
Scientists at the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) say they are alarmed by the speed with which a new strain of mpox is spreading.
Since the beginning of the year, more than 13,700 cases and 450 deaths have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The virus, which can cause lesions throughout the body, has spread to other African countries, including Burundi, the Central African Republic (CAR), Kenya and Rwanda.
The declaration of a public health emergency will help governments coordinate their response and potentially increase the flow of medical supplies and aid to affected areas.
Health officials outside Africa will also be monitoring the situation to assess the risk of further spread of the epidemic.
On July 29, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said the risk from the Mpox virus was “very low” in Europe.
The Mpox virus spreads from animals to humans and between people through close contact with an infected person, such as through sexual intercourse, skin-to-skin contact, and talking or breathing near another person.
It can cause symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, and lesions throughout the body. If left untreated, mpox can be fatal.
There are two known major strains of the virus. The milder one caused the 2022 global outbreak that affected Europe, Australia, the United States, and many other countries, and was spread primarily through sexual contact.
The second most lethal strain, endemic to Central Africa, is behind the new variant recently discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
There are three vaccines, but they can usually only be administered to people at risk or who have been in close contact with an infected person.
