WHO Director Declares Latest Mpox Outbreak an International Public Health Emergency

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The rapid spread of the newest mpox strain, clade 1b, has caused World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Ph.D., to declare it a public health emergency of international concern, according to a news release published this week by the WHO.

Infection and death rates in the Democratic Republic of Congo have already surpassed last year's count with more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths recorded. It has also begun to spread rapidly to neighboring countries Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda where mpox has not yet been seen. Over 100 mpox cases have been reported in these countries.

“The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighboring countries are very worrying,” Ghebreyesus. “On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives.”

Clade 1b is primarily passed sexually between men who have sex with men. Given the overlap of HIV and mpox in these areas, there has been some research to see if there is a link between the two viruses. It is still currently unknown if having HIV increases the risk of getting mpox, but available data from the United States, Europe and England shows that an estimated 28% to 51% of mpox patients have HIV as well. Data also shows that people with advanced HIV are more likely to die if they contract mpox. Severe mpox in those with HIV can lead to complications including hospitalizations, larger lesions, sepsis and encephalitis. People who have achieved viral suppression do not seem to be at an increased risk of death.

Unlike HIV, there are two vaccines for mpox, JNNYEOS, the preferred vaccine, and ACAM2000. The JNNYEOS vaccine consists of two doses given four weeks apart. Maximum protection is achieved two weeks after the second dose. ACAM2000 a single dose vaccine.

Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 when researchers noticed a pox-like disease spreading through the monkeys they kept for research. The first human case of mpox was found in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

There are two types of mpox virus: clade 1 and clade 2. Clade 1 leads to more severe illness and death, killing up to 10% of those infected. It is endemic to Central Africa. Clade 2 is the type that caused the last global outbreak in 2022. More than 99.9% of people survive the infection. It is endemic to West Africa.

WHO anticipates $15 million in funding to support response activities such as vaccine manufacturing and surveillance.

The WHO has released $1.5 million from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies so far. More may be released in the coming days.