The World Health Organization (WHO) has escalated its response to the mpox outbreak, declaring a global health emergency due to the rapid spread of a new, more deadly variant across Africa and its recent detection in Europe. The outbreak has now affected 13 African countries, with over 19,000 cases reported since the beginning of 2024.The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains the epicenter of the outbreak, reporting over 15,000 suspected or confirmed cases and 548 deaths since January 2024. The new variant, identified as ‘Clade 1b’ or ‘Congo 1’, is considered more contagious and deadly than previous strains, with a mortality rate of up to 10% compared to the 0.2% observed in the 2022 outbreak.In a concerning development, the first case of this new, more dangerous mpox variant outside of Africa has been detected in Sweden. Olivia Wigzell, acting head of the Swedish Public Health Agency, confirmed that ‘the person was infected during a visit to a part of Africa where a major outbreak of monkeypox caused by the 1st strain is occurring’. This case has heightened concerns about the potential for wider international spread.Global health authorities are mobilizing to address this evolving threat. The WHO has initiated an emergency listing process for mpox vaccines to accelerate access in low-income countries. The US has donated 50,000 doses of the FDA-approved Genius vaccine to the DRC, while the Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic has announced plans to produce up to 10 million vaccine doses by 2025.Despite the alarming spread, health experts emphasize that mpox primarily spreads through close contact and is not airborne like COVID-19. However, they stress the importance of maintaining vigilance and hygiene practices. The WHO has advised against imposing travel restrictions or closing borders, instead calling for enhanced surveillance, testing, and treatment of infected individuals.
Key points
- WHO declares global health emergency due to new, more deadly mpox variant spreading in Africa.
- First case of new mpox variant detected in Sweden, marking its spread to Europe.
- Over 19,000 mpox cases reported in Africa since early 2024, with DRC as the epicenter.
- Global efforts underway to increase vaccine production and distribution.
Contradictions👾While most sources report the new variant as more deadly, with up to 10% mortality rate, some articles still refer to the general mpox mortality rate as around 3%.
