Europe is recording 100 new cases of mpox every month, a World Health Organization (WHO) chief warned today.
Dr Hans Kluge, the UN agency’s regional director for Europe, said a “lack of commitment” and “resources” by European governments had failed to eliminate the virus causing the outbreak.
But addressing a UN briefing at the Geneva Palace, he warned that mpox was “not the new Covid”.
This comes as a separate mutant form of the virus is running rampant in Africa, killing about 10 percent of those infected.
It is a descendant of the deadly clade I strain of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, and different from the mild version that spread to more than a dozen countries, including the UK, in 2022.
This map shows areas where cases of the new mpox strain have been confirmed (shaded red) and those considered to be at risk of cases emerging by UK health officials.
It is a far cry from the 2022 outbreak, where thousands of cases were recorded, mainly in London.
Dr Kluge told the UN briefing at the Geneva Palace: “Mpox is not the ‘new COVID’.
‘Regardless of whether it is mpox clade I, behind the current outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa, or mpox clade II, behind the 2022 outbreak that initially affected Europe and has continued to circulate in Europe since then.
‘We already know quite a bit about clade II. We still need to learn more about clade I.
‘As far as we know, mpox is transmitted primarily through skin-to-skin contact with mpox lesions, including during sexual intercourse.’
He added: ‘Today, we are seeing around 100 new mpox clade II cases in the European Region every month.
‘However, the current state of alert due to clade I gives Europe the opportunity to refocus on clade II.
‘Two years ago, we brought mpox under control in Europe through direct engagement with the most affected communities of men who have sex with men.
‘We have implemented strict surveillance, thoroughly investigated new cases and contacts, and provided sound public health advice.
‘Behavioral change, non-discriminatory public health action, and mpox vaccination contributed to controlling the outbreak.
‘Learning from our success, we urge governments and health authorities to maintain these measures to help eliminate mpox from Europe.
‘But due to a lack of commitment and resources we were unable to reach the end.
‘In short, while strengthening surveillance against clade I mpox, we can – and should – strive to eliminate clade II from Europe once and for all.’
The latest WHO data shows that more than 99,000 cases of mpox have been reported worldwide since January 2022.
Clade II caused alarm among health officials in 2022 when it began to spread rapidly in several countries, mainly through sexual contact between gay and bisexual men.
However, new infections gradually declined amid increased awareness of the disease and a rushed vaccination programme.
The smallpox vaccine is known to help prevent MPOX because the two viruses are closely related. But experts said there was not yet enough evidence to suggest a vaccine would be effective against the new clade 1b strain.
This map shows the location of mpox cases by UK nation between January 2023 and the end of July this year.
At the time, the UK reported nearly 4,000 cases of the less severe form of MPOX, and NHS England inoculated more than 68,000 people against the disease with the smallpox vaccine, which works because the two viruses are closely related.
The mutant form that currently worries health experts, called clade Ib, kills about one in 20 adults it infects, and can kill as many as one in 10 children.
Infections have also been linked to an alarming increase in miscarriages among pregnant women.
Cases of the new mpox strain are concentrated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Authorities have said more than 17,000 cases and 571 deaths have been recorded in Africa this year, an increase of 160 percent compared to the same period last year.
The city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo also has an international airport offering frequent direct flights to Europe, which experts have previously warned is a possible route for the virus to enter a new continent.
Mpox, also known as monkeypox, is transmitted between people through skin-to-skin contact.
This can occur through sexual intercourse or through simple contact such as when caring for children, although it can also spread through secondary contact such as sharing towels or bedding, for example.
It causes characteristic lumpy lesions, as well as fever, aches and fatigue.
However, in a small number of cases, it can enter the blood and lungs, as well as other parts of the body, and become potentially fatal.