The World Health Organization has issued a global health emergency in response to a mpox outbreak in Africa Stat is reporting.
The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared the spread of mpox in multiple African countries a public health emergency of international concern, the second such declaration in the past two years called in response to transmission of the virus.
The latest decision came on the recommendation of a panel of experts convened to advise WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on the issue. It also follows a similar declaration Tuesday by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
“It’s clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop this outbreak and save lives,” Tedros said in announcing the declaration of the PHEIC.
A PHEIC, or A public health emergency of international concern, can be declared if a disease outbreak is considered a high risk to cross borders. In contrast, international cooperation would be needed to help maintain an outbreak. In this case, all those parameters have been met. In turn, the PHEIC will give the WHO director-general the authority to issue general temporary recommendations and general guidance to countries to reduce infections and squash the outbreak.
Mpox is caused by the same virus that causes Smallpox which was declared eradicated back in the 1980s. However, the good news is that mpox is much less severe than its smallpox counterpart and is believed to have originated from small rodents in Africa and non-human primates. Mpox is also generally spread through close contact with an infected person such as sexual or skin-to-skin contact.
General symptoms of mpox infection include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, cough, sore throat, and a blister-like rash that can last anywhere from two to four weeks. The mortality rate among infected individuals is also relatively low with the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) from past outbreaks being anywhere from one to 10 percent. The disease though can be more fatal in young children or individuals who are immunocompromised.