Headline:
WHO Warns: Mpox Situation in Africa Remains Concerning Amidst Rising Cases
Article:
The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed grave concern over the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa, with cases continuing to rise in several countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, and Uganda. According to a WHO report released on Monday (23/12/2024), Africa has recorded 13,769 confirmed cases across 20 nations as of December 15, 2024, with 60 fatalities. The DRC remains the hardest hit, with 9,513 confirmed cases.
In Goma, the capital of North Kivu province in the DRC, healthcare workers were seen assisting residents in an awareness campaign to combat mpox, as reported by Xinhua News on Tuesday (24/12/2024). While the DRC has shown a relatively stable trend in recent weeks, WHO cautions that a decrease in case numbers should be approached with prudence. "The flattening and decreasing trend should be monitored, as there may be delays in case reporting," WHO noted.
Moreover, WHO has raised alarm about the emergence of a more dangerous but less understood variant, clade 1b. First detected in the DRC in September 2023, this variant has since spread to several countries, including Sweden and Thailand. "The geographic spread of mpox clade 1b virus (MPXV) continues to be reported outside the DRC," WHO stated, adding that eight countries outside Africa have also detected this variant.
Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus, has two distinct clades: clade 1b and clade 2b. The virus can be transmitted to humans through physical contact with infected individuals or materials, as well as infected animals. WHO emphasizes that much remains unknown about the transmission and spread of clade 1b. "The case fatality rate for clade 1b MPXV is estimated at 3.6 percent, significantly higher than previous lineages," WHO warned, highlighting the potential severity of this variant.
As the outbreak expands, WHO urges further efforts to understand and control the spread, paying particular attention to the potentially more deadly clade 1b variant.