Monkeypox News: WHO Warns That Mpox Infections Are Surging Once Again Globally And Now Also In Congo!
Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Nov 26, 2023 5 months, 1 day, 6 hours, 47 minutes ago
Monkeypox News: In a concerning turn of events, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning regarding a surge in monkeypox (mpox) infections globally, with a particularly alarming escalation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The latest External Situation Report (SitRep 30), published on November 25, 2023, sheds light on the current state of the multi-country outbreak, indicating a shift in reporting frequency from weekly to monthly. This adjustment urges caution in interpreting the data provided.
https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/multi-country-outbreak-of-mpox--external-situation-report-30---25-november-2023
During the month of October 2023, a total of 668 new laboratory-confirmed mpox cases were reported across 29 countries. The Western Pacific and European regions emerged as the most affected areas, with the South-East Asia Region and the Region of the Americas following closely. The African Region reported a modest eight cases, while the Eastern Mediterranean Region reported one case. The outbreak, as per global surveillance data, is characterized by low transmission levels in Europe and the Americas, but the Western Pacific and South-East Asia regions exhibit a higher level of transmission.
In a recent
Monkeypox News update, the WHO highlights the evolving epidemiology of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since January 1, 2023, the country has reported a staggering 12,569 suspected cases, with 581 deaths, resulting in a case fatality ratio of 4.6%. Notably, newly identified outbreaks related to sexual transmission of clade I MPXV (monkeypox virus) have been reported, prompting a joint mission by the Ministry of Health and the WHO in the affected areas.
https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2023-DON493
This surge in mpox cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo comes despite the WHO's declaration in May of the end of the global health emergency related to mpox, citing declining global case numbers. However, the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo underscores a renewed and escalating threat that demands urgent attention.
According to the WHO Chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, eleven provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are identified as endemic for mpox. However, recent years have witnessed a concerning expansion in both the total number of cases and the number of provinces reporting mpox, reaching 22 provinces as of November 2023.
The transmission dynamics of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been a challenge to understand due to limited access to timely diagnostics, difficulties in linking cases to infectious animals, and incomplete epidemiological and contact tracing investigations over the years. The country has been grappling with human-to-human transmission since the 1970s, often in small household or community outbreaks attributed to presumed zoonotic transmission.
The magnitude
of the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is highlighted by the staggering statistics - over 12,500 infections and 581 deaths reported between January and November 2023, marking the highest number of cases since the detection of human-to-human transmission of mpox in the 1970s.
Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), is endemic in densely forested regions of West, Central, and East Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The country is currently facing a unique challenge as it deals not only with the ongoing global outbreak but also with the emergence of sexual transmission of clade I MPXV within clusters, a phenomenon not previously documented globally.
The global outbreak, which began in 2022, has seen the spread of clade IIb MPXV, mainly driven by sexual contact among men who have sex with men. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, however, has only reported cases of clade I MPXV so far. The recent cases linked to sexual transmission within the country raise additional concerns about the outbreak's rapid expansion.
In conclusion, the global community is on high alert as monkeypox cases surge once again, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the epicenter of the escalating threat. The challenges in understanding transmission dynamics, coupled with the emergence of new modes of transmission, necessitate immediate and coordinated efforts to contain and manage this public health crisis. The WHO's call for heightened vigilance and global cooperation underscores the urgency of addressing the evolving situation before it further spirals out of control.
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