Africa declares mpox outbreak a public health emergency

Mpox outbreak: The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared a public health emergency on Tuesday over the continent’s growing mpox outbreak.

Formerly known as monkeypox, mpox is an infectious viral disease and has spreading at rapid speed, concerning Africa CDC scientists. The disease first began spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo before making way to neighboring countries.

Mpox can spread via close contact and creates flu-like symptoms and lesions filled with pus. It can be fatal but most cases are mild.

The two main strands of mpox are known as Clade I and Clade II. The DRC outbreak began with Clade I before the deadlier Clade Ib variant, which appears to be impacting children at a high rate, started to spread.

The Africa CDC reports that the country has seen a 160% increase in the disease compared to 2023. So far, authorities have recorded more than 15,000 cases and 461 deaths due to mpox.

State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told VOA that, while there are no updates on travel advisories, the U.S. is keeping a close watch on the public health emergency.

“We are tracking closely on the spread of mpox in Central Africa,” Patel said/. “The United States has provided more than 17 million beyond our regularly programmed health assistance to support mpox preparedness and response efforts in Central and Eastern Africa.”

Clade II, a milder strand, caused a 2022 global outbreak, which the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency. The African CDC meets this week to determine whether mpox is again a global public health emergency.

There are three approved vaccines for the disease, but they are difficult to acquire. VOA/SP