An outbreak of a dangerous virus called mpox has been declared a public health emergency in Africa by the top health organization on the continent. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has raised concerns about the rapid spread of a new strain of the disease.
This year alone, over 15,000 cases of mpox have been reported in Africa, resulting in 461 deaths. This marks a significant increase in cases, with a 160% rise compared to the same period in 2023. The virus, previously known as monkeypox, originated in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has since spread to 18 other nations. The majority of cases and deaths have been concentrated in the DR Congo.
Children under the age of 15 make up nearly 70% of cases in the DR Congo, with 85% of deaths occurring in this age group. Mpox presents with flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, with severe cases posing a deadly threat.
The virus primarily spreads through close contact with infected individuals, including through sexual contact. A new variant of the virus, known as Clade 1b, has emerged and appears to spread more easily among children. The Africa CDC has declared a public health emergency to address this pressing issue.
Mpox is a viral disease that affects regions in central and western Africa. Symptoms include a skin rash, fever, headaches, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes. Currently, there is no specific treatment for mpox, but a two-dose vaccine has been developed to prevent infections.
Jean Claude Udahemuka from the University of Rwanda has highlighted Clade 1b as a particularly dangerous strain of mpox. The head of Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya, has called for urgent action to combat the spread of the virus. The continent requires over 10 million vaccine doses, but only a fraction of that number is currently available.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified nine African countries where mpox cases have been detected recently. These countries include DR Congo, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Central Africa Republic, Ivory Coast, South Africa, and Nigeria. Mpox has been a longstanding issue in Africa since it was first discovered in humans in DR Congo in 1970.
In 2022, a milder form of the virus spread to over 100 countries worldwide, primarily through sexual contact. The WHO declared a global health emergency due to the outbreak, which affected over 2,000 individuals in the UK alone. Thankfully, there were no reported deaths in the UK during that time, and the emergency was lifted after 10 months.
The situation with the mpox virus in Africa is dire, and urgent measures are needed to control its spread and protect vulnerable populations. Vaccination efforts and public health interventions are crucial to combatting this deadly disease.
