Mpox Virus Cases Explodes In Africa, Public Health Emergency Declared Amid Massive Outbreak: 10 Points To Know

Mpox Outbreak in Africa Spirals into Emergency: Public Health Emergency Declared Amid Massive Surge In Cases.

Mpox Virus Updates: After battling the COVID-19 virus for over four years, the world is now facing challenges against another deadly virus - Mpox (also known as Moneypox virus). In the recent development, Africa's top public health body declared what it termed a "public health emergency of continental security" on Tuesday over an outbreak of Mpox that spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighbouring countries.

"I declare with a heavy heart but with an unyielding commitment to our people, to our African citizens, we declare Mpox as a public health emergency of continental security," Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), said during an online media briefing on Tuesday.

"This declaration is not merely a formality, it is a clarion call to action. It is a recognition that we can no longer afford to be reactive. We must be proactive and aggressive in our efforts to contain and eliminate this threat," she further added.

Massive Mpox Outbreak In Africa: Public Emergency Declared

Taking cognizance of the massive outbreak, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) warned last week that the viral infection's rate of spread was alarming. It said that over 15,000 Mpox cases and 461 deaths were reported on the continent this year so far, representing a 160% increase from the same period last year.

According to the reports, the outbreak in Congo began with the spread of an endemic strain, known as Clade I. But the new variant, known as Clade Ib, appears to spread more easily through routine close contact, particularly among children.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is also scheduled to hold a meeting to form an emergency committee to tackle the current situation in Africa. The health agency regraded the ongoing multi-country Mpox outbreak to an "acute" grade 3 emergency.

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Mpox Cases Explode in Africa: What Is This Virus?

As the virus is spreading rapidly across Africa and neighbouring countries, here are the top 10 points that need to be highlighted to spread awareness about this deadly virus strain and its nature:

1. As of now, the outbreak has swept through several African countries, particularly the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the virus was first discovered in humans in 1970.
2. Transmission: Mpox primarily spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks.
3. Mpox can also spread through contact with contaminated surfaces (places where an infected person's respiratory droplets are present.
4. WHO said, "Mpox is transmitted through close contact and causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. Most cases are mild but it can kill."
5. Mpox has been endemic in parts of Africa for decades after it was first detected in humans in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970.
6. Symptoms of Mpox Virus Infection: Symptoms of Monkeypox, (Mpox) vary but commonly include fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, and muscle pain.
7. In severe cases, the virus infection can also lead to pneumonia, respiratory failure, and other life-threatening complications.
8. The disease can be dangerous for children, pregnant women and those with suppressed immune systems.
9. How to prevent Mpox spread? As per experts, frequent handwashing with soap and water, wearing masks in public, maintaining physical distance, and avoiding large gatherings.
10. Vaccination against Mpox is advised to strengthen immunity and lessen severe illness risks.

Emergencies of this kind were declared in 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic and in 2022, on account of an earlier Mpox outbreak. The aim is to alert health authorities to a rise in cases.

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