Mpox is a disease that could become a global threat

Over the past year, a growing number of people have become infected with the deadlier strain of the MPox virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), leading to could become a “global threat” if the strain spreads beyond the African country, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which called for “coordinated global action,” a rising number of cases involving the deadliest strain of the MPox virus, divided into two genetically distinct groups called clades, “raises concerns” that the virus may spread to other countries. and urgently” to contain the virus.

from monkeypox to MPox

MPox, formerly known as monkeypox, is an orthopoxvirus that causes a disease similar to human smallpox, but usually less severe. It is transmitted from animals to humans and between people through direct contact with injuries, body fluids or contaminated materials. The virus is divided into two clades: Clade Imostly associated with Congo and found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Treasure IIassociated with West Africa.

Clade I virus causes more severe disease and more deaths than Clade II virus, which caused a global outbreak in 2022: 1.4% to 10% or more of group I cases result in death.compared to just 0.1% to 3.6% for Clade II, which killed nearly 60 Americans.

The DRC has reported an “unprecedented number” of suspected clade I virus cases since 2023, having previously warned of cases in neighboring Central African countries. There are no reported cases of infection with this strain outside Africa. Cases in children and adults have been associated with interactions with infected animals or close, prolonged contact with infected people, and there is evidence that Clade I spreads primarily among adults through sexual contact..

most affected groups

The 2022 global outbreak primarily affected gay, bisexual men and other men who have sex with men, but two stage 1 outbreaks in the DRC The virus has been reported among men who have sex with men and among both male and female sex workers.

. While the majority of suspected cases of group I disease in the DRC (67%) are in children under 15 years of age.

A Canadian-led research team has discovered the Clade Ib strain in the DRC, a new form of the virus whose mutations allow it to spread more efficiently among people. Researchers involved in the study called for “swift action” from international health organizations to “avoid another global outbreak of MPOX.”

Genetic analysis shows that the mutated virus began spreading in the DRC in September. Another study found that countries affected by Clade Ib n virusor have tests that can accurately detect the strain, allowing doctors to diagnose cases based on symptoms alone..

Concern is growing

The Clade IIb strain, which spread to nearly 96,000 people in the 2022 outbreak, caused, among other things, skin rashes and, in rare cases, health complications such as pneumonia, difficulty swallowing, severe dehydration and malnutrition.

Concerns about MPOX outbreaks in the United States subsided over recent decades until 2022, when health officials reported that thousands of MPOX vaccines had expired. because they no longer believed mpox was a threat.

Earlier this month, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued a health alert warning of an increase in cases of the Clade II virus since October. The city recorded an average of 36 cases a month between October and April, including a peak of 51 cases in January between October and April, after averaging 20 cases a month between January and September last year. The majority of these cases (73%) involved people who had not been vaccinated or had only received one dose of the vaccine. and only 10 people were hospitalized

.

Now the CDC is focused on encouraging Americans most at risk to get vaccinated before the virus resurges, working with advocacy groups and social media influencers in the LGBTQ+ community.