Kinshasa, December 24 (IANS). The World Health Organization (WHO) said the epidemiological situation of mpox remains particularly worrying in Africa, where high cases have been seen in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi and Uganda.
According to the latest WHO report, as of December 15, Africa has seen 13,769 confirmed cases in 20 countries, including 60 deaths. The worst-affected country remains the DRC, where 9,513 confirmed cases have been found.
While DRC, the epicenter of the outbreak, has seen a relatively stable epidemic trend in recent weeks, WHO nevertheless cautioned that stable and declining trends should be interpreted cautiously given potential reporting delays.
The latest outbreak involves the emergence and spread of a more dangerous but less understood variant, clade 1b, which was first identified in the DRC in September 2023. Cases of this clade 1b strain have since been reported in several countries, including Sweden and Thailand.
WHO said that geographic expansion of clade 1b mpoxviruses continues to be reported outside the DRC. Given that eight countries outside Africa have detected this strain.
Monkeypox is a viral disease caused by monkeypox virus, which has two distinct clades, including clade 1b and clade 2b, and is spread to humans through physical contact with an infectious person, contaminated materials, or infected animals. Could.
There is still much to be understood about the infectiousness and persistence of transmission of clade 1b MPXV, said WHO, which previously specified that the mortality rate of clade 1b MPXV was estimated at 3.6 percent, much higher than that of previous strains. .
In mid-August the Africa CDC declared the Mpox outbreak a public health emergency for continental security. Shortly thereafter, the World Health Organization also declared the viral disease a public health emergency of international concern, marking the second time in two years that it has activated its highest level of global alert for mpox.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox. It was first discovered in laboratory monkeys in 1958. It is a rare viral disease that is usually spread through body fluids, respiratory droplets, and other contaminants. Infection often causes fever, rash, and swollen lymph nodes.
–IANS
PSK/AS
