What is mpox? Here's All You Need To Know About Disease Declared Global Health Emergency
The announcement came a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Africa declared it a public health emergency.
What is mpox? WHO declared it a global health emergency: For the second time since 2022, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared mpox as a global health emergency amidst the spread of the virus across the African continent. Reportedly, the risk has been entering other continents as well.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday issued the highest level of alert for the viral disease. It noted that more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths in Africa, this year, have gone beyond last year’s figures.
The announcement came a day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Africa declared it a public health emergency.
What is mpox virus?
Mpox is a viral infection that affects humans and animals both. It belongs to the group of viruses that are classified as “Orthopoxvirus genus” that typically cause pox-like disease, including a rash with raised bumps or blisters on the skin. The bumps were often filled with fluid or pus and can eventually crust over and heal.
Mpox is as similar as the now eradicated smallpox, and and other poxviruses like cowpox and vaccinia.
Mpox was originally named “monkeypox” when first identified in monkeys in 1958. In 1970, the first human case was reported in a nine-month-old boy in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
How is mpox virus transmitted?
The mpox virus is transmitted to humans in close contact with an infected animal or person. Animal-to-human transmission typically occurs through bites, scratches, or direct contact with the blood, body fluids, or wounds of an infected animal.
Human-to-human transmission may happen through:
- Direct contact with skin lesions, body fluids, or respiratory droplets of an infected person.
- Prolonged face-to-face contact with an infected person.
- Touching contaminated objects, such as bedding or clothing
The virus enters the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract, or mucous membranes (which include eyes, nose, and mouth).
What are the mpox symptoms?
Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, and a distinctive rash that may appear on the face, hands, feet, and other parts of the body.
Why has mpox been declared a global emergency?
The WHO declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) – its highest level of alert due to a new variant of mpox being found and cases being reported for the first time in several countries, such as Kenya and Rwanda.