WHO declares mpox a global public health emergency for second time in two years
The World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following an outbreak of the viral infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighboring countries in Africa.
A “public health emergency of international concern,” or PHEIC, is the WHO’s highest level of alert, and it can accelerate research, funding and international public health measures and co-operation to contain the disease.
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, a 160% increase compared to the same period last year, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Cases have been reported in 13 countries.
Mpox has two distinct viral clades, I and II. Both versions can spread through close contact with an infected person or via direct contact with infected animals or contaminated materials.
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