LONDON — The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared this week that the growing spread of mpox across the continent constitutes a health emergency, warning that the virus could eventually spread across international borders.
The World Health Organization (WHO) convened its own expert meeting on Wednesday to consider declaring a similar emergency over MPOX. The UN health agency said there have been more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths this year, already surpassing last year’s figures.
So far, more than 96% of cases and deaths have occurred in a single country: Congo. Scientists are concerned about the spread of a new version of the disease in that country, which could spread more easily from person to person.
Here’s a look at what we know about MPOX and what might be done to contain it:
What is mpox?
Monkeypox, also known as monkey pox, was first identified by scientists in 1958, during outbreaks of a “pox-like” disease in monkeys. Until recently, most human cases were seen in people in central and west Africa who had close contact with infected animals.
In 2022, the virus was first confirmed to be spread through sexual intercourse, sparking outbreaks in more than 70 countries that had not previously reported cases of COPD.
Smallpox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox, but causes milder symptoms such as fever, chills, and body aches. People with more severe cases may develop lesions on the face, hands, chest, and genitals.
What is happening in Africa to cause all this concern?
The number of cases has increased dramatically. Last week, the Africa CDC reported that mpox had been detected in at least 13 African countries. Compared to the same period last year, the agency said cases have increased by 160% and deaths by 19%.
Earlier this year, scientists reported the emergence of a new form of mpox in a Congolese mining town that can kill up to 10% of people and can spread more easily.
Unlike previous outbreaks of MPOX, where lesions were mainly seen on the chest, hands and feet, the new form of MPOX causes milder symptoms and lesions on the genitals. This makes it harder to detect, meaning people can also infect others without knowing they are infected.
WHO said MPOX was recently identified for the first time in four East African countries: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. All of these outbreaks were linked to the Congo outbreak.
In Ivory Coast and South Africa, health officials reported outbreaks of a different, less dangerous version of mpox that spread worldwide in 2022.
What does an emergency declaration mean?
Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya said the agency’s declaration of a public health emergency was aimed at “mobilizing our institutions, collective will and resources to act quickly and decisively.” He appealed to Africa’s international partners for help, saying the surge in cases in Africa had been largely ignored.
“It’s clear that current control strategies are not working and more resources are needed,” said Michael Marks, professor of medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “If a global emergency declaration is the mechanism that’s going to unlock these things, then it’s justified,” he said.
What is the difference between the current epidemic in Africa and that of 2022?
During the global outbreak of MPOX in 2022, gay and bisexual men accounted for the vast majority of cases and the virus was spread primarily through close contact, including sexual intercourse.
Although similar trends have been observed in Africa, children under 15 now account for more than 70% of MPOX cases and 85% of deaths in Congo.
Ahead of the emergency meeting on MPOX, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said officials were facing multiple MPOX outbreaks in different countries with “different modes of transmission and different levels of risk.”
“To stop these epidemics, we will need an appropriate and comprehensive response,” he said.
Greg Ramm, director of Save the Children Congo, said the organization was particularly concerned about the spread of mpox in the overcrowded refugee camps in the east of the country, noting that 345,000 children “are crammed into tents in unsanitary conditions.” He added that the country’s health system was already “collapsing” under the pressure of malnutrition, measles and cholera.
It’s unclear why children are so disproportionately affected by MPOX in Congo, according to Dr. Boghuma Titanji, an infectious disease specialist at Emory University. She said it could be because children are more susceptible to the virus or because of social factors, such as overcrowding and exposure to relatives who have had the disease.
How could mpox be stopped?
The 2022 MPO outbreak in dozens of countries was largely brought under control by the use of vaccines and treatments in wealthy countries, in addition to convincing people to avoid risky behaviors. But virtually no vaccines or treatments are available in Africa.
Marks, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said vaccination would likely help – including inoculating people against smallpox, a related virus.
“We need a large quantity of vaccines to be able to vaccinate the populations most at risk,” he said, adding that this would include sex workers, children and adults living in areas affected by the epidemic.
Congo said it was in talks with donors about possible vaccine donations and had received financial help from Britain and the United States.
WHO said it has released $1.45 million from its emergency fund to support the MPOX response in Africa.
Christina Malkia in Kinshasa, Congo, contributed to this report.
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