Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) in Africa has raised significant concerns among global health authorities, particularly the World Health Organization (WHO). As the agency monitors the situation, its designation of this outbreak as a potential global emergency underscores the severity and urgency of the public health implications. The spread of Mpox beyond endemic regions necessitates a comprehensive evaluation of transmission dynamics, epidemiological patterns, and potential socio-economic impacts on affected populations.
Mpox is primarily transmitted through close contact with infected individuals or animals, making it essential to implement effective containment strategies. The WHO's warning reflects an understanding that infectious diseases do not recognize borders; thus, localized outbreaks can escalate into international crises if not addressed promptly. In light of increasing globalization and interconnectedness, it is imperative for nations to collaborate on surveillance and response efforts to prevent widespread transmission.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also issued a health advisory Wednesday to address the “risk of additional spread,” recommending that physicians maintain a “heightened index of suspicion for mpox” in people who recently traveled from the DRC or bordering countries.
WHO. Symptoms include a fever, a painful rash, headache, muscle and back pain, low energy and enlarged lymph nodes.
For decades, the disease had largely been found in Central and West Africa, but it also began spreading in Europe and North America in 2022.
Earlier this year, scientists reported the emergence of a new form of the deadlier version of mpox, which can kill up 10% of people, in a Congolese mining town that they feared might spread more easily among people. Mpox spreads via close contact with infected people, including via sex.
In 2022, WHO declared mpox to be a global emergency after it spread to more than 70 countries, mostly affecting gay and bisexual men. Before that outbreak, the disease had mostly been seen in sporadic epidemics in central and West Africa when people came into contacted with infected animals.
The United States has robust mpox testing capacity in state public health laboratories and several commercial laboratories, including clade-specific testing, sequencing, and/or flagging high-likelihood clade I MPXV samples (i.e., negative for clade II MPXV but positive for orthopoxvirus). In addition, CDC continues to receive a subset of MPXV samples from across the United States that were not differentiated during the initial diagnosis to test for MPXV clade and to look for mutations using genetic sequencing. CDC is helping communities monitor the presence of both clades of MPXV in wastewater samples, including from select airports. Data from samples can provide an early warning of mpox activity and spread in communities.
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