WHO, Scientists report deadly strain of Mpox in Africa 

AFRICA – The World Health Organization has urged greater attention to Mpox as independent scientists raised concerns that a more deadly version of the virus is circulating in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“There is a critical need to address the recent surge in Mpox cases in Africa,” Rosamund Lewis, the WHO’s technical lead for Mpox, said in a briefing note reported by Reuters.

A more severe strain of the virus, a mutated form of clade I, is spreading in the South Kivu province of the DRC, according to John Claude Udahemuka, a scientist from the University of Rwanda.  

This mutated strain has a fatality rate of around 5% in adults and 10% in children, Udahemuka warned.

The outbreak in the DRC has been severe, with approximately 8,600 reported Mpox cases and 410 deaths this year, according to Cris Kacita, who oversees the country’s Mpox control program.  

Leandre Murhula Masirika, a research coordinator in South Kivu, said the region is seeing around 20 new cases arrive at the hospital in Kamituga weekly, raising concerns about the potential for the virus to spread to neighboring countries like Rwanda and Burundi. 

Mpox, a viral infection transmitted through close contact, manifests with flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. While most cases are mild, the disease can be fatal. 

A different, less severe strain of the virus, clade IIb, spread globally in 2022, primarily through sexual contact prompting a public health emergency declaration by the WHO.

Despite the end of the emergency status, the WHO’s Lewis emphasized that the disease remains a significant health concern, with recent cases in South Africa resulting in two deaths from the clade IIb strain. 

While vaccines and treatments were utilized to combat the global outbreak, these resources are not readily available in the DRC. 

Efforts are underway to address this gap, as highlighted by the WHO and scientists.

Researchers noted that the new strain in South Kivu is spreading through various means, including sexual contact among individuals and particularly among sex workers.

Other modes of close contact transmission, such as at schools and from caregivers to children, require further investigation. 

The disease is also linked to miscarriages in pregnant women and persistent symptoms like rashes.

With 24 out of 26 provinces in the DRC affected, the ongoing outbreak marks the most severe Mpox epidemic to date, according to Kacita.  

The WHO and scientists are calling for urgent action to address the escalating situation in Africa and prevent the further spread of this deadly strain.

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