WHO declares Mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years.
(Reuters) – The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared Mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following an outbreak of the viral infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighboring African countries.
An emergency committee met earlier on Wednesday to advise WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on whether the disease outbreak constitutes a “public health emergency of international concern,” or PHEIC.
PHEIC status is WHO’s highest level of alert and aims to accelerate research, funding, and international public health measures and cooperation to contain a disease.
“It’s clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” said Tedros.
Mpox can spread through close contact. Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. It causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.
The outbreak in Congo began with the spread of an endemic strain, known as clade I. But a new variant, clade Ib, appears to spread more easily through routine close contact, including sexual contact.
It has spread from Congo to neighboring countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, triggering action from the WHO.
“The detection and rapid spread of a new clade of Mpox in eastern DRC, its detection in neighboring countries that had not previously reported Mpox, and the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying,” Tedros concluded.
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