The infection was declared a global public emergency for the second time in two years.

It is time again to take measures of precaution over the outbreak of mpox, a viral infection spreading from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries.

The World Health Organization on 14 August 2024 declared mpox a global "public health emergency of international concern," or PHEIC for the second time in two years (first time in 2022). 

PHEIC status is WHO's highest level of alert and aims to accelerate research, funding and international public health measures and cooperation to contain a disease.

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"It's clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives. […] The detection and rapid spread of a new clade of mpox in eastern DRC, its detection in neighboring countries that had not previously reported mpox, and the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The decision follows a continental alert by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) after warning that the viral infection was spreading at an alarming rate, with more than 17,000 suspected cases and more than 500 deaths this year, mainly among children in Congo. It has also appeared in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.

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There are no reports of mpox on other continents so far but it’s not clear whether there are any detection mechanisms.

Mpox can spread through close contact. Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. It causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body. The outbreak in Congo began with the spread of an endemic strain, known as clade I. But a new variant, clade Ib, appears to spread more easily through routine close contact, including sexual contact, according to a study published in the journal Nature. 

According to Wikipedia, mpox is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and other animals. Symptoms include a rash that forms blisters and then crusts over, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. The illness is usually mild, and most of infected individuals recover within a few weeks without treatment. 

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The time from exposure to the onset of symptoms ranges from five to twenty-one days, and symptoms typically last from two to four weeks. However, cases may be severe, especially in children, pregnant women, or people with suppressed immune systems.

A health worker explains the hygiene measures to follow after recovering from mpox, at the treatment centre in Munigi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, July 2024. Image: RFI

Most mpox patients become symptomatic 4–11 days after infection. Is some cases, the incubation period can be as short as one day. The 2022–2023 outbreak revealed that incubation periods of up to 4 weeks are possible, with 5% of cases having incubation periods longer than the previously assumed 21 days.

Initial symptoms of mpox infection are fever, muscle pains, and sore throat, followed by an itchy or painful rash, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and fatigue. Not everyone will exhibit the complete range of symptoms.

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The disease is caused by Orthopoxvirus monkeypox, formerly "monkeypox virus", a zoonotic virus in the genus Orthopoxvirus. The variola virus, which causes smallpox, is also in this genus. Human-to-human transmission can occur through direct contact with infected skin or body fluids, including sexual contact.

People remain infectious from the onset of symptoms until all the lesions have scabbed and healed. The virus may spread from infected animals through handling infected meat or via bites or scratches. Diagnosis can be confirmed by PCR testing a lesion for the virus's DNA.

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No vaccine has been developed specifically against mpox, but smallpox vaccines have been found to be effective. There is no specific treatment for the disease, so the aim of treatment is to manage the symptoms and prevent complications.

The name monkeypox was originally coined because the disease was first identified in laboratory monkeys. This name was later criticized as a misnomer since monkeys are not the main host or reservoir.

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