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Mpox, a highly infectious disease formerly known as monkeypox, has been declared a public health emergency in Africa by the continent’s leading health authority, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).
The declaration comes in response to a rapidly spreading new strain of the virus, which has already caused over 13,700 cases and 450 deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the start of the year. Scientists from the Africa CDC say they are alarmed by the speed at which a new strand of mpox has been spreading.
The virus, known for causing lesions across the body, has also spread to neighboring countries including Burundi, the Central African Republic (CAR), Kenya, and Rwanda.
The emergency declaration is expected to facilitate a coordinated response among African governments and may lead to an increase in medical supplies and aid to the affected regions. Health officials outside Africa are closely monitoring the situation to determine the risk of the outbreak spreading further. On 29 July, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control assessed the risk of mpox spreading in Europe as “very low.”
Mpox is transmitted from animals to humans and can spread between people through close contact, including sexual contact, skin-to-skin interaction, and close-range conversation or breathing. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and lesions, and if left untreated, the disease can be fatal. There are two main strains of the mpox virus: a milder strain that caused a global outbreak in 2022, and a more deadly strain endemic to Central Africa, which is responsible for the new variant spreading in the DR Congo.
Although there are three vaccines available for mpox, they are generally reserved for people at high risk or those who have been in close contact with an infected person. The current situation underscores the urgent need for increased global attention and resources to combat the spread of this deadly disease in Africa.
Melissa Enoch
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