A new strain of mpox is causing a significant rise in cases across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and is spreading to neighboring countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a public health emergency (PHEIC) in response.
On Thursday, health officials reported the first infection outside Africa. The PHEIC aims to increase awareness and secure funding for disease containment and treatment.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, affects both humans and animals and is similar to smallpox. It causes fever, rashes, and pus-filled lesions. Severe cases can lead to sepsis, a life-threatening condition requiring urgent medical care.
The latest outbreak is caused by clade Ib, a more dangerous variant that can be fatal in up to 10% of cases. Unlike the 2022 outbreak, which was linked to clade II and primarily affected gay and bisexual men, the current outbreak predominantly impacts children. Most cases in the DRC involve children under 15 who contracted the disease through family or school contact.
Save the Children reports that overcrowded hospitals in the DRC are seeing infections in newborns and high miscarriage rates among pregnant women. The WHO’s PHEIC declaration will support funding and research into clade Ib to better understand and control its spread.
Authorities are particularly concerned about the situation around Goma, in northeastern DRC, which has the highest number of cases and is facing a humanitarian crisis with displaced populations. The virus’s spread has also been facilitated by Goma’s international airport.
The WHO has highlighted the fragile state of the DRC’s healthcare system, which is already strained from past Ebola and Covid-19 outbreaks.
Vaccines are crucial for managing outbreaks. Two vaccines are recommended for mpox. Although vaccines were pivotal in the 2022 Western outbreak, they were scarce in Africa. Last week, the WHO urged vaccine manufacturers to seek emergency approvals to boost production and distribution.
On Wednesday, the African CDC signed an agreement with the European Commission and Bavarian Nordic for 215,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine. This is far short of the 10 million doses needed, but the Africa CDC plans to secure more by the end of the year, with a commitment to ensuring all Africans have access.
