The World Health Organization is concerned about the MPOX epidemic due to the continuous propagation of the virus, especially in the DRC, faced with a new subvariant, the CLADE 1B.
- The World Health Organization maintains the maximum alert in the face of the MPOX epidemic due to the continuous propagation of the virus, especially in the DRC, where a new subvariant (CLADE 1B) is worried.
- MPOX, an infectious disease close to smallpox, can be fatal and touch various countries. It can be transmitted to humans by infected animals but also between humans via close physical contact.
- With more than 13,000 cases in the DRC in 2023 and an upsurge in early 2024, the response was hampered by insecurity and the lack of funding. WHO calls for increased international support to slow down transmission and limit global health risks.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has decidedthis Thursday, February 27, to maintain the maximum alert for the epidemic of Mpox. “The continuous increase in cases and geographic extent, violence in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – which hinders the response – as well as the lack of funding to implement” Control measures justify this decision, said the director general of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
A potentially fatal disease
Formerly known as a vario of the monkey, MPOX is an infectious disease caused by a virus close to smallpox. It can be transmitted to humans by infected animals but also between humans via close physical contact. Identified for the first time in 1970 in the DRC, this infection causes fever, muscle pain and skin lesions that can be serious. In some cases, it can be fatal.
MPOX exists in two forms: Clade 1, historically present in Central Africa, and Clade 2, responsible for the global outbreak of 2022. Since this epidemic, more than 128,000 cases have been confirmed in 130 countries, causing 281 deaths according to WHO. After a first report of international public health emergency (USPPI) in July 2022, the WHO raised the alert in May 2023, thanks to the vaccination and awareness campaigns. However, an increase in cases in the DRC led to a new maximum alert in August 2024.
This time, a new subvariant, the Clade 1B, is involved. Detected mainly in the DRC, it has since been identified in five other African countries as well as in several European countries such as France and Sweden. A recent study, relayed by Science and futureunderlines an increased risk of false layers in the event of infection in the 1B clade, which raises fears of a possible intrauterine transmission which would be dangerous for the fetus.
The DRC in the heart of the new outbreak
With more than 13,000 cases and 43 deaths in the DRC in 2023, and already more than 2,000 cases in early 2024, the country alone concentrated the majority of world infections. In addition, the detection of cases in other regions of the globe, often linked to trips to Africa, feeds fears of a new international spread.
The fight against MPOX in the DRC is made difficult by several factors. On the one hand, the unstable security situation in certain regions prevents effective management of patients. On the other hand, the lack of funding for vaccination and awareness complicates the implementation of prevention strategies. Faced with these challenges, the WHO insists on the urgency of increased international support to limit the spread of the virus, thanks to the provision of vaccines and treatments.
