The Mpox virus – formerly called monkeypox virus – has been spreading across the African continent since the beginning of the year. Starting from Congo, it is already registered in 16 African countries. It became known for the first time in Sweden. And the World Health Organization decided to declare the virus a global health emergency. ARD is looking for answers to the most important questions related to it.
How many cases are there so far?
Since the beginning of the year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which brings together African centers for epidemic control, has identified 15,000 cases and at least 460 deaths caused by Mpox. This is a 160 percent increase compared to last year. But it is not clear how reliable these figures are, as neither Congo nor its neighboring countries have the capacity to carry out tests and research. Therefore, the cases are probably much more, suggests the German public law media.
What is known about the virus so far?
The Mpox virus is of animal origin, that is, it was transmitted to humans from wild animals and is related to the classic smallpox virus. It was first identified in humans in 1970, and scientists have identified two types of it – Clade1 and Clade2. A subspecies of Clade1 is also common in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries – Clade1b.
Current evidence suggests that Clade1 and its subspecies Clade1b are more easily transmitted. Diseases are severe, mortality is high. But this has not yet been scientifically proven, as the data from the affected African countries is not enough.
ARD recalls that when the Mpox epidemic broke out in Europe in 2022, things were different. At the time, more than 60 countries were affected and the World Health Organization also declared a global health emergency. However, industrialized countries have carried out major immunization and awareness campaigns. And severe cases were treated with antiviral drugs. In addition, after just a few months, the number of infected people dropped significantly.
At that time, the infections were caused by the Clade2 virus, states the ARD and adds that mostly homosexual men were affected. There were deaths, but most illnesses were relatively mild.
How is the virus transmitted?
The virus is transmitted from person to person mostly through close physical contact – but not only through sexual contacts. Contagion is also possible through contact with infected animals or objects. Probably for this reason, many children are also infected in the affected regions. More than 60 percent of the sick are children and young people under 15 years old, he told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” Jean Cadea, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
How can we protect ourselves from infection?
There are two vaccines that have been developed to protect against classical measles, there are also antiviral medications, ARD points out. As during the coronavirus pandemic, so now the industrialized countries are relatively well supplied with medicines and vaccines, but not the global South - there is a shortage. According to the CDC, there is a need for ten million vaccines in the affected regions, but only 200,000 are available.
What does “global health hazard“ mean?
This means that a disease threatens to spread beyond national borders and may become an international health risk. And that the situation in the affected countries is so dire that international cooperation is needed to control the contagion. So far, the alarm announced by the WHO has no immediate consequences for Europe.
Just a week ago, the WHO appealed to vaccine manufacturers to speed up production. This is now expected to happen. In addition, the declared state of emergency requires countries to closely monitor what is happening on their territory, identify new infections and educate their populations.
Is a situation like the coronavirus threatening us?
The information so far does not suggest that Mpox will cause a pandemic like the one with the coronavirus, writes ARD. Mpox is not so easily transmitted, and the virus is not capable of as many mutations as that of Covid-19 or influenza viruses, say German health experts Andreas Nitsche and Jeanine Michel.
And Marion Kopmans, who heads the Institute of Virology at Erasmus University. in Rotterdam, explains: “Smallpox viruses can change their characteristics when parts of their genome change. But according to my knowledge, there are no indications of a more severe course of the disease if it is a matter of the Clade1b“ species.
Author: Daniela Remus ARD