African mpox epidemic
 | It has been suggested that this article be merged with 2024 mpox outbreak. (Discuss) Proposed since August 2024. |
 | This article documents an ongoing epidemic. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (August 2024) |
| Date | September 2023 – present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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An epidemic of mpox began in Africa in September 2023. As of August 2024, more than 17,000 cases have been reported with 517 fatalities.[2]
Epidemiology
[edit]Outbreak
[edit]In May 2022, the World Health Organization declared that mpox was a global health emergency. The disease had infected 87,000 individuals and caused 140 deaths when the World Health Organization ended its global emergency the following year.[3]
In September 2023, a subgroup of clade I of mpox was identified in Kamituga, a mining town in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.[4] A resurgence of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo began by January 2024.[5]
Countries with widespread transmission
[edit]Democratic Republic of the Congo
[edit]As of July 2024, 13,791 cases of mpox have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 450 deaths.[1]
Central African Republic
[edit]On 30 July 2024, the Central African Republic declared an outbreak of mpox in Bangui after being restricted to rural areas.[6]
Countries with limited local transmission
[edit]Thirteen countries have reported cases of mpox, including the East African nations of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda for the first time.[7]
Virology
[edit]Mpox is caused by monkeypox virus. The virus is transmitted through close contact, clothing contaminated, surfaces, consumption of contaminated meat, and sexual contact.[7][8] In April 2024, researchers identified a novel subgroup of clade I of mpox.[9]
Treatment
[edit]In June 2024, Reuters reported that authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had approved the vaccines Jynneos, manufactured by Bavarian Nordic, and LC16, manufactured by KM Biologics.[10]
Responses
[edit]On 14 August 2024, the World Health Organization declared the epidemic a global health emergency.[11]
Challenges
[edit]Mpox vaccines were not approved by any African government and the efficacy of vaccines was not been attested by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts until June 2024. World Health Organization Health Emergencies Programme director Michael J. Ryan noted in an interview with NPR that the Democratic Republic of the Congo faces several endemic diseases, including measles and cholera. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, only two labs are able to perform mpox polymerase chain reaction testing.[12] Central African health minister Pierre Somse stated that families were hiding infected relatives in fear of being stigmatized.[6]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention 2024, p. 1.
- ^ Bariyo, Nicholas (14 August 2024). "Rapid Spread of Mpox in Africa Is Global Health Emergency, WHO Says". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ Mandavilli, Apoorva (11 May 2023). "W.H.O. Ends Mpox Global Emergency". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ Newey, Sarah (16 April 2024). "Mutated strain of mpox with 'pandemic potential' found in DRC mining town". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ Scott, Dylan (24 January 2024). "A deadly new outbreak is testing Africa's ambitious public health efforts". Vox. Retrieved 14 August 2024.}
- ^ a b Chibelushi, Wedaeli (30 July 2024). "Central African Republic latest to declare mpox outbreak". BBC News. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ a b Sampson, Eve (14 August 2024). "What to Know About Mpox". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ "Outbreak: WHO declares much deadlier strain of mpox a global "public health emergency"". Boing Boing. 14 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ Murhula Masirika et al. 2024, p. 1.
- ^ Rigby, Jennifer (27 June 2024). "Congo authorities approve mpox vaccines to try to contain outbreak". Reuters. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ Mandavilli, Apoorva (14 August 2024). "W.H.O. Declares Global Emergency Over New Mpox Outbreak". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ Emmanuel, Gabrielle (2 April 2024). "Major mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a worry to disease docs". NPR. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
Cited works
[edit]- Mpox Situation in Africa (PDF) (Report). Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. 30 July 2024.
- Murhula Masirika, Leandre; Kumar, Anuj; Dutt, Mansi; Toloue Ostadgavahi, Ali; Hewins, Benjamin; Bubala Nadine, Maliyamungu; Kitwanda Steeven, Bilembo; Kumbana Mweshi, Franklin; Mutimbwa Mambo, Léandre; Bengehya Mbiribindi, Justin; Belesi Siangoli, Freddy; A Kelvin, Alyson; Claude Udahemuka, Jean; Kelvin, Patricia; Flores, Luis; Kelvin, David; Sganzerla Martinez, Gustavo (April 2024). "Complete Genome Sequencing, Annotation, and Mutational Profiling of the Novel Clade I Human Mpox Virus, Kamituga Strain". Journal of Infection in Developing Countries. 18 (4): 600–608. doi:10.3855/jidc.20136. PMID 38728644. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
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