WHO Convenes Emergency Meeting Over Spread of Deadly New Mpox Strain
The WHO has called an emergency meeting to address the spread of a new deadly Mpox strain originating from the DRC. Learn about the potential international health risks and response strategies.
Bollywood Fever: The World Health Organization (WHO) has convened an Emergency Committee meeting to address the international spread of a deadly new strain of Mpox. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern on Wednesday about the virus’s potential for further international spread both within and outside of Africa.
A new strain of the virus was detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in April. Experts have identified it as a descendant of the deadly clade 1 Mpox strain, which has evolved to become even more infectious. The virus has since spread beyond the DRC, prompting the WHO to seek advice on whether the outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern.
The densely populated DRC, with frequent cross-border travel, poses a significant risk for the spread of this new Mpox strain. The WHO reported that the virus has now spread to previously unaffected provinces. In the past month, at least 50 Mpox cases have been reported in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda—countries that have not previously experienced the virus.
Mpox caused an international epidemic in 2022, spreading to more than 100 countries and resulting in hundreds of deaths, including 58 in the United States. That outbreak was due to the milder clade 2 strain, which is rarely fatal. However, the DRC has struggled with a deadlier version of the virus known as ‘clade 1a,’ which has a fatality rate of up to 10%.
The new mutated strain, dubbed ‘clad 1b,’ appears to be just as deadly and has been confirmed in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. The virus detected in Burundi is still being analyzed.
Dr. Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that the DRC has been experiencing a severe Mpox outbreak since early this year, with over 14,000 cases and at least 511 deaths. He highlighted that the number of cases in the first six months of 2024 exceeds the total recorded in 2023.
The WHO is collaborating with the governments of affected countries, Africa’s CDC, and non-governmental agencies to understand and address the drivers of these outbreaks. “Stopping transmission will require a comprehensive response, with communities at the center,” Dr. Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized.
As part of its regional response, the WHO does not recommend travel restrictions on affected countries. It is requesting $15 million from the United States to support surveillance, preparedness, and response actions. The WHO is also providing $1 million to increase its response efforts and is coordinating with humanitarian groups to distribute vaccines to affected areas.
The WHO has endorsed two vaccines to prevent Mpox infection. The organization recommends vaccination within four days of contact with someone who has the virus or within up to 14 days if there are no symptoms. Healthcare workers and men who have sex with men are advised to receive the vaccine even if they have had no known Mpox exposure.
Symptoms of Mpox include a rash, skin lesions, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, and swollen lymph nodes. The virus spreads through physical contact, contaminated materials, and can be transmitted from pregnant women to their fetuses. While there is no direct cure for Mpox, treatment focuses on alleviating symptoms and managing pain. Severe cases can be fatal.
As the WHO and global health authorities ramp up their efforts to contain this outbreak, the international community watches closely, hoping to prevent another widespread epidemic.
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