Continent-Wide Health Emergency Declared Over Mpox Outbreak in Africa

Africa's top public health authority, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), has declared a 'public health emergency of continental security' due to an mpox outbreak spreading from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries. The outbreak has resulted in over 15,000 cases and 461 deaths this year, a 160% increase from last year.

Africa's top public health authority, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), declared a 'public health emergency of continental security' on Tuesday after an mpox outbreak spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries.

Mpox, which is transmitted through close contact, causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. Although most cases are mild, the virus can be fatal. The outbreak initially stemmed from an endemic strain known as Clade I but a new variant, Clade Ib, appears to spread more easily, particularly among children.

The Africa CDC warned last week that the virus's spread was alarming, with over 15,000 mpox cases and 461 deaths reported on the continent this year alone, marking a 160% increase from the same period last year. Originally detected in humans in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1970, mpox had been endemic in parts of Africa for decades. A milder version of the virus spread to over a hundred countries in 2022, often through sexual contact, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a public health emergency of international concern, its highest alert level. The WHO ended the emergency 10 months later, saying the crisis was under control.

(With inputs from agencies.)