New-Delhi: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday has declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years.
This decision follows a severe outbreak of the viral infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo and that has spread to the neighbouring countries in Africa including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
Earlier this week, Africa’s top public health body similarly declared mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, an emergency after warning that the viral infection was spreading at an alarming rate.
More than 17,000 suspected mpox cases and 517 deaths have been reported on the African continent so far this year, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
What is MPOX
Mpox spreads through close contact, it is usually mild but can be fatal in rare cases. The infection causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.
The current outbreak began with an endemic strain, clade I, in Congo, but a new variant, clade Ib, has emerged, spreading more easily through routine close contact, including sexual contact.