🚨 Breaking News: WHO sounds the alarm as Monkeypox spreads in Africa. Here’s everything you need to know!
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a second global public health emergency in response to the rapid spread of monkeypox (mpox) across Africa. In an unprecedented move, this marks the first time the organization has flagged an outbreak on a continental scale as an international emergency. The recent uptick in cases, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has led to heightened concerns among health officials worldwide. The variant currently circulating is reportedly more lethal and contagious than the strains observed in previous years.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have echoed the WHO’s concerns, also declaring the mpox outbreak a public health emergency. Countries like Congo are witnessing resurgent mpox cases, compounding the challenges faced by their already strained healthcare systems. This new variant’s ability to spread faster and cause severe symptoms has alarmed experts and left many scrambling for containment strategies.
Adding to the urgency, WHO’s highest level of alert now enables more significant international coordination and resource allocation to contain the spread. The organization has been in constant communication with governments across the globe to ensure a unified effort against the unfolding health crisis. Health officials emphasize the importance of immediate action, stating that delays could exacerbate the situation, leading to more widespread transmission and increased fatalities.
In a briefing, the WHO chief warned that different clades or variants of the mpox virus are emerging and spreading. This unpredictable behavior of the virus is making it incredibly challenging to mount an effective response. Public health experts urge for global solidarity, stressing that the world can only combat such outbreaks through coordinated international efforts and robust support for affected regions.
Did you know, monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 when outbreaks occurred in monkeys kept for research? While it primarily affects animals, humans can get infected through close contact with infected animals or contaminated materials. Interestingly, the smallpox vaccine is about 85% effective at preventing mpox. With the resurgence of this deadly strain, the focus has once again returned to refining vaccines and treatments to curb its spread.
Another fun fact: a significant difference between mpox and other poxviruses is the presence of large lymph nodes in infected individuals. This symptom can help in early detection and containment of the virus. So, while the situation is serious, understanding these unique characteristics of the virus can aid in developing targeted public health responses and preventive measures.
The chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) briefed an emergency committee meeting of the international health regulations body on Wednesday over the ...
The organization has taken the measure due to the expansion of an apparently more lethal variant of the virus in Africa, which declared its first-ever ...
The World Health Organization has declared the mpox outbreaks in Congo and elsewhere in Africa a global emergency.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared this week that the increasing spread of mpox across the continent is a health emergency, ...
The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years.
The African Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared a public health emergency across the continent due to a monkeypox outbreak ...
It is the first time the agency has designated any outbreak a continental emergency. Other African countries are also facing resurging mpox outbreaks caused by ...
Following a major outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that quickly spread to neighbouring countries, the WHO's highest level of alert will allow for ...
The World Health Organization has declared the mpox outbreaks in Congo and elsewhere in Africa a global emergency.
The strain of mpox spreading in Africa is deadlier and more contagious than the 2022 strain.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had declared the outbreak a public health emergency this week and warned that the increasing spread of ...
The World Health Organization has declared the mpox outbreaks in Congo and elsewhere in Africa a global emergency.
The epidemic is concentrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but the virus has now appeared in a dozen other African countries.
Mpox is declared a public health emergency by the WHO for the second time in two years. What to know about the disease.
The declaration followed an outbreak of the viral infection in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighboring countries.
Cases of mpox — previously called monkeypox — have been surging in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In recent weeks, cases have appeared in nearby African ...
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has determined that the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing ...
The WHO has declared monkeypox as a “public health emergency of international concern" (PHEIC), designed to prompt a coordinated international response.
Scientists are alarmed at the high fatality rate and rapid spread of a new variant of the virus.
The declaration follows mpox outbreaks in 13 African nations, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Central African Republic ...
Mpox spreads through direct contact with infectious lesions, contaminated objects, and animal interactions. Symptoms include rashes, fever, and swollen ...
World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has determined that the rising cases of mpox in African countries have made ...
WHO declared the disease a global public health threat for the second time in two years this week.
Clade 1 was likely to be linked to “a higher rise of a more severe course of disease and higher mortality,” the Swedish public health agency said. The patient ...
There are two main strains of mpox, clade I and clade II, according to the CDC. The clade II strain is endemic to West Africa and fueled the mpox outbreak in ...
The announcement came the day after the World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency. Transmission electron micrograph of ...
The World Health Organization on Thursday said a first case of mpox linked to an outbreak in Africa has been identified outside the continent after an ...
On Wednesday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared monkeypox as a global threat. The WHO flagged it as a PHEIC or public health emergency of ...