You may have heard about an outbreak of mpox, also known as monkeypox, in Africa, leading the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency of international concern.
Since January 2023, more than 22,000 mpox cases have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and more than 1,200 people have died. Cases are now appearing in nearby countries.
On August 14, 2024, an emergency committee of independent experts recommended declaring a public health emergency because the outbreak could spread farther across Africa and to other continents.
Mpox is a rare disease that was first found in monkeys in 1958 and first recorded in humans in 1970. The majority of mpox infections are reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with people in several other African countries also having been infected.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mpox cases outside Africa are usually linked to international travel or imported animals.
The CDC reports that no known cases of mpox linked to the current outbreak have been found in the United States, and the agency currently considers the risk to the general public in the U.S. to be low. There has been at least one case reported in Sweden, and the situation is rapidly changing. This latest outbreak is related to a new type or clade of mpox spread person-to-person by close, prolonged direct contact. More cases may appear in more countries over time.
In 2003, there was an mpox outbreak in six U.S. states: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. The 47 cases were all linked to pet prairie dogs believed to have been infected when housed near other imported small mammals from Ghana.
During that outbreak, a joint effort among the CDC, local health departments, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration helped contain the disease through extensive lab testing and available vaccines for those at risk. Today there’s a restriction on imports of rodents from Africa to prevent similar outbreaks.
In 2022, a global outbreak led to more than 95,000 cases across 115 countries including Europe and North America — regions that don’t typically see mpox. About 33,000 cases and 60 deaths occurred in the U.S., during which new vaccines and treatments were developed for high-risk individuals.
According to the CDC,"the type of mpox currently spreading in Africa typically results in more severe cases" with higher fatality rates compared to previous strains seen elsewhere; however,"the impacts in the United States would likely be milder."
Mpox can be transmitted from person-to-person or from infected animals through bites or scratches or handling wild animals or their products. It can also cross placentas during pregnancy.
When spread between humans,"mpox is transmitted mostly through direct contact with body fluids," scabs or infectious sores."It might also spread through materials like clothing or sheets" that have touched these fluids or wounds."If there's long enough face-to-face contact," it can also be spread via respiratory secretions.
The CDC notes it’s not yet known if mpox can spread through semen or vaginal fluids but it can transmit during sex and other close contacts."Children younger than 15 have been largely affected by this current outbreak." Cases have also appeared among men who have sex with men as well as female sex workers along with their contacts; nonetheless,"mpox doesn’t tie itself specifically any particular group."
There’s no proven safe treatment for mpox right now though vaccines exist for eligible individuals based on risk levels; it's important get both doses ensure protection.
An antiviral drug called tecovirimat (TPOXX) has been used treat severe cases while its safety effectiveness undergo evaluation clinical trial named STOMP whose details available online.
Other preventive measures include avoiding close contact symptomatic individuals materials they’ve used such clothing bedding healthcare items living dead wild animals items coming into contact them eating preparing meat products derived them creams lotions powders
Typical symptoms begin fever headache muscle aches backache exhaustion followed swollen lymph nodes rash develops within one three days after fever onset starting face spreading body illness lasts two four weeks
Contact healthcare provider upon symptom development visit CDC website further information updates regarding outbreaks
