The World Health Organization has called a meeting of its Emergency Committee to address the international spread of a deadly strain of monkeypox.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that public health officials are concerned that the virus has “the potential for further international spread within and beyond Africa.”
In April, a new strain of the virus was detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Experts said it was descended from the deadly Mpox strain of clade 1, but had evolved to become even more infectious.
It has now spread outside the Democratic Republic of Congo, prompting the WHO to ask public health experts to advise “on whether the outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern.”
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to a densely populated population that frequently travels and moves across borders, increasing the risk that the new mpox strain could eventually spread beyond the country.
The WHO said the virus has “spread to provinces that had not been previously affected.” In the past month, at least 50 cases of Mpox have been reported in four other countries bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo, countries that had not previously experienced the virus.
These include Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
Mpox caused an international epidemic in 2022 when it spread to more than 100 countries and killed hundreds of people, including 58 Americans.
That outbreak was caused by the milder clade 2 strain, which is rarely fatal.
But for more than a year, the Democratic Republic of Congo has been struggling to contain a more lethal version of the virus, known as “clade 1a,” which kills up to 10 percent of those infected.
The new mutated strain, called “clad 1b,” appears to be equally deadly.
Clad 1b has been confirmed in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda and the virus detected in Burundi is still being analysed.
Dr. Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference that the Democratic Republic of Congo has been “experiencing a severe outbreak of Mpox” since the beginning of this year and has recorded more than 14,000 cases of the virus.
At least 511 deaths have occurred.
While the Democratic Republic of Congo has experienced Mpox outbreaks for decades, Dr. Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the number of cases has increased in 2024, with more recorded in the first six months of this year than in all of 2023.
The director general added that the organization is working with governments in affected countries, as well as the Africa CDC and non-governmental agencies to “understand and address the factors driving these outbreaks.”
He continued: “Stopping transmission will require a comprehensive response, with communities at the centre.
CDC officials said the latest surge in mpox cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is “the largest increase in mpox cases ever recorded.” It includes 19,919 cases and 975 deaths through April 2024.
As part of the WHO regional response, Dr Adhanom Ghebreyesus said travel restrictions are not recommended for affected countries and $15 million is requested from the United States to support surveillance, preparedness and response efforts.
WHO is providing $1 million to scale up its response to the spread and is coordinating with humanitarian groups to gain access and distribute vaccines in affected areas.
WHO has approved two vaccines to prevent Mpox infection. The organization recommends getting vaccinated within four days of contact with someone who has the virus or within 14 days if there are no symptoms.
Health care workers and men who have sex with men are advised to get vaccinated even if they have not been exposed to Mpox.
Symptoms of Mpox include rash, skin lesions, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, and swollen lymph nodes.
It is transmitted through physical contact, such as kissing or sexual relations, with animals when cooking them, with contaminated materials and by pregnant women who can infect the fetus.
There is no direct cure for Mpox, but doctors try to treat its symptoms, including clearing the rash and controlling the pain.
Severe cases of Mpox can be fatal.