The World Health Organization (WHO) is considering a major step in response to a rapidly escalating mpox outbreak that has so far been confirmed in 12 African countries.

The WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has pointed out that he "might convene an expert committee to advise on whether the outbreak should be declared an international public health emergency”.

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The decision comes amid a troubling surge in cases, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), and the detection of a more dangerous strain in neighboring African countries.

The WHO, along with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, local governments, and other partners, is intensifying response to the crisis. Ghebreyesus highlighted the need for more funding and support to mount a "comprehensive response.”

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus.

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According to WHO, this virus is part of the Orthopoxvirus genus, which also includes variola (smallpox), cowpox, and vaccinia.

It was first identified in humans in 1970 in DRCongo. The disease is characterized by fever, muscular aches, and skin lesions that resemble large boils.

Mpox has two main genetic clades: Clade I and Clade II. The recent global outbreak was primarily caused by Clade IIb, but experts argue that the current surge in Africa involves a different strain known as Clade Ib.

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The virus can be transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals, contaminated materials, or from person to person through close physical contact. It can also spread through direct contact with infectious lesions or bodily fluids, including respiratory droplets from prolonged close contact.

Symptoms of mpox typically begin within a week of exposure and include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. A distinctive rash often develops, starting as flat sores that turn into blisters filled with fluid. As the rash progresses, the lesions dry out, crust over, and eventually fall off. The rash can appear anywhere on the body.

In a related development, the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) of the African Union (AU) on August 2 made an emergency approval of $10.4 million from the existing Covid-19 funds for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) "to support ongoing efforts to combat the Mpox outbreak across the continent.”

Official statistics indicate that from January to July 2024, 15,074 Mpox cases (2,853 confirmed; 12,221 suspected) and 461 deaths (fatality rate of 3.06 percent) have been reported across 12 AU member states.

This represents a 160 percent increase in cases and a 19 percent increase in deaths in 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.