The World Health Organization (WHO) has now designated the mpox outbreak a global health emergency. After holding an emergency committee meeting to deliberate on the issue, the global health watchdog announced the designation on Wednesday, August 14, 2024.
The declaration is coming on the heels of a recent discovery of a new and deadlier strain of the virus, clade Ib. The new strain, which has been spreading faster, has now penetrated four new African countries that were previously unaffected by the disease. Before now, only the Democratic Republic of Congo suffered the outbreak.
A number of independent experts who briefed the WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the increased severity of the new strain attended the emergency meeting.
According to reports from those who joined the meeting virtually, the director-general has now designated the disease a public health emergency of international concern, which is the highest level of alarm in international health law.
“The emergency committee met and advised me that the situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice,” Ghebreyesus said.
“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.”
According to the organization, combating diseases of this designation level requires global cooperation. The Africa Centers for Disease Control had taken the first step a day before by declaring the outbreak a public health emergency of continental security.
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What is Mpox?
Mpox is a rare and viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus. Scientists first discovered the virus in Denmark in 1958. Afterward, in 1970, they recorded the first reported human case in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The victim was a nine-month-old boy.
In 2022, the virus re-emerged in Central Africa. Afterward, it began to spread to other continents. In just a few weeks, there were reports of infections in over 75 countries including the United States.
After receiving advice from health experts and consultants, the WHO decided to call the disease a new term: mpox. According to reports, preventing stigma for people with monkeypox is one of the major reasons for adopting the new name.
What Animals Carry Monkeypox?
Experts generally believe that mpox is a disease of mammals. However, they are yet to ascertain whether all mammals can carry the disease. The virus mainly affects a few specific animals, such as rats, mice, squirrels, and monkeys. However, these animals can transmit the virus to humans.
Affected animals can infect humans through bites and scratches. On two occasions, researchers have recovered the virus from animals in the wild. The first instance was from a rope squirrel, while the second occasion was from a mangabey.
These two animals were found in west and central Africa. However, it isn’t yet sure whether dogs, cats, and other pets can get infected. Humans can also catch the disease when they eat affected animals or touch their carcasses.
Humans can also transmit the sickness to other humans. For example, the virus can spread from human to human by close contact with respiratory droplets and sexual contact. One can get the virus by using the clothes and blankets of an infected person with rashes.
Interestingly, an infected pregnant person can transmit the disease to their unborn child. Humans can also spread the disease to animals.
What Are the Symptoms of Monkeypox?
Symptoms of the disease include skin rashes, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, back pain, fever, and headaches. For many affected persons, the first symptom is a rash. The rash usually grows from a flat sore into an itchy, painful, wet blister.
Until this sore heals, the affected person can easily transmit the disease to others. Some others may suffer pain when peeing or a painful inflammation in their rectum. Skin damage may also result from a possible bacterial infection.
Other complications include loss of vision, pneumonia, corneal infection, severe dehydration, inflammation of the brain, difficulty swallowing or vomiting, malnutrition, higher risks of getting other serious diseases, and death.
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Is There a Cure for Mpox?
For now, there is no cure yet for mpox. However, there is treatment for combating symptoms such as rashes and pain. Just like in other viral diseases, early detection and treatment is a huge advantage. Getting treatment will hinder the development of symptoms and avert further complications.
There are no specifically approved treatments for mpox. However, physicians treat the disease with antivirals such as tecovirimat (TPOXX), which was initially made for treating smallpox, and brincidofovir (Tembexa).
In the area of prevention, taking a mpox vaccine will do a lot of good. Persons can prevent infection if they receive the vaccines within 4 days of contact with someone who already suffers from the disease or affected animals and pets. It is also important to note that care for affected persons should be delivered away from other people.
Who Is at Risk for Mpox?
No one is immune from mpox. However, most of the recent cases of people with the disease have been gay and bisexual men. Basically, men who have had sex with other men.
Other categories of people who are at a high risk of the disease are sex workers, people who have multiple sex partners, and health workers. Therefore, it is important to be extra vigilant for the symptoms if you belong to these groups.
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