WHO declares mpox, caused by monkeypox virus, a global emergency: What you need to know

WHO declares mpox, caused by monkeypox virus, a global emergency: What you need to know The World Health Organization has declared mpox, an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus, a global health emergency following a surge of cases in Africa, officials announced Wednesday. The declaration follows mpox outbreaks in 13 African nations, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Central African Republic and other nations. New forms of the virus, known as clade I and clade Ib, appear to spread more easily through routine close contact, including sexual contact, Reuters reported. More than 17,000 cases have been reported across Africa in 2024, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Mpox surges in African nations The alert, known as a public health emergency of international concern, or PHEIC, is the highest level of alarm under international health law, WHO says. The potential for further spread in Africa is worrying, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO director-general. Mpox, formerly called monkeypox, is caused by infection with the monkeypox virus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus is similar to the one that causes smallpox, the CDC says. The disease is zoonotic, which means it can be spread from vertebrate animals to humans. However, more human-to-human transmissions have been reported since 2016, according to Politico. The global mpox outbreak in 2022 was caused by a different strain of mpox, clade II, which is still present in the U.S. and elsewhere, Reuters said. No cases from clade I have been reported outside of central or eastern Africa, the CDC said in an alert last week. How mpox spreads so easily Mpox is usually passed to humans from rodents and primates, through bites, aerosol transmission or contact with infected fluids. Person-to-person transmission is usually through close contact with respiratory secretions, inflected skin lesions or recently contaminated objects, according to the WHO. Within one to three days of infection, a patient will develop a facial rash that spreads to other parts of the body, the CDC said. The incubation period, the time between infection and symptoms, is usually 6 to 13 days but can be 5 to 21 days. Symptoms of mpox include: Mpox symptoms, while similar to smallpox, are less severe, WHO says. Rashes go through several stages, including scabs, before healing, the CDC says. About 10 million vaccine doses are needed for the outbreaks in Africa, according to the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. WHO’s response would require an initial $15 million, and the agency plans to appeal to donors for funding. Contributing: Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY Source: USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters; World Health Organization; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention – This Summarize was created by Neural News AI (V1). Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2024/08/15/mpox-who-global-health-emergency/74800667007/