Mpox outbreak in Africa: 15 nations report over 15,000 cases; WHO convenes urgent meeting
WHO-MPox
Africa is standing at the cusp of witnessing a massivempox outbreak, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to convene an urgent meeting to decide whether it constitutes a Public Health Emergency of international concern. At least 15 African countries are reporting an outbreak of mpox cases, including four of those that were previously unaffected — Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
As per the WHO, the 15 countries have reported 2,030 confirmed cases and 13 deaths so far in 2024. The number of suspected mpox cases this year has risen to over 15,000 in the continent, with more than 500 deaths. This is higher than the overall 1,145 cases and seven deaths reported in the previous year.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the United Nations body was concerned about its rapid expansion.
New variant circulating
Of all cases, 90 per cent have been reported from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) alone. It’s where a new deadly variant has been circulating since September 2023. As per media reports, the clade 1b variant is crossing borders with a whopping 10 per cent mortality rate in children.
It’s harder to detect, with mutations not being picked up by existing tests. The variant is also believed to have caused dozens of deaths in Burundi, South Africa, and DR Congo.
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Also read:Experts warn against `most dangerous` mpox strain spreading in Democratic Republic of the Congo
Scientists now blame this variant for the outbreak in the regions that remained unaffected previously as enough preventive measures are not put in place.
"The most severe and lethal Clade 1 mpox, historically endemic to central Africa, has become predominant and is now found throughout the region," Zeil Rosenberg MD, executive vice president at Tonix Pharmaceuticals which is developing a mpox vaccine, was quoted as saying by Daily Mail.
About mpox
The disease generally spreads through direct animal contact, such as virus-carrying squirrels. However, new variants may also spread through human-to-human contact.
Watch:W.H.O convenes emergency meeting over MPOX outbreak; deadly strain on the move in Africa
This virus is part of the same family as the virus that causes smallpox. People with mpox often get a rash, along with other symptoms. The rash will go through several stages, including scabs, before healing.
(With inputs from agencies)