Experts warn against 'most dangerous' mpox strain spreading in Democratic Republic of the Congo

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday (Jun 25) said that the spread of mpox in Africa needs to be addressed urgently. The scientists warned separately of a "dangerous strain" in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

As reported by the news agency Reuters, Rosamund Lewis, the WHO's technical lead for mpox, said in a briefing note to journalists: "There is a critical need to address the recent surge in mpox cases in Africa."

Mpox is a viral illness transmitted through close contact with infected humans or animals, as well as via materials such as contaminated sheets.

The disease led to painful and scarring lesions, principally to the face, anus and genitals. Common symptoms of mpox include a skin rash, fever, headache, muscle aches and swollen lymph nodes.

The health experts who are dealing with the outbreak called for urgent action in order to contain the spread of a new strain of mpox.

The strain that was spreading there was quite dangerous as it was a modified strain of the clade I mpox that had been endemic in the Congo for decades, the report said.

Its mortality rates are reported to be approximately 10 per centfor children and five per centfor adults.

"It's undoubtedly the most dangerous so far of all the known strains of mpox considering how it is transmitted, how it is spread and also the symptoms," saidJohn Claude Udahemuka at the University of Rwanda during a separate briefing.

According to Leandre Murhula Masirika of the South Kivu health department, the new strain was first identified in the small mining town of Kamituga in South Kivu province in the east of the DRC in September.

The strain has spread to cities in the area in recent weeks and may already have reached neighbouring countries such as Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.

Cris Kacita, the doctor in charge of operations in the country’s mpox control programme, told Reuters last week that roughly 8,600 mpox cases have been reported in Congo and 410 deaths so far this year.

Mpox was first discovered in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the spread since then mainly limited to certain West and Central African nations.

But in May 2022, infections surged worldwide, mostly among men who have sex with men, leading the WHO to declare it a global health emergency.

(With inputs from agencies)