LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared the spread of megalovirus infection in Africa a global health emergency, warning that the virus could eventually spread across borders.
The announcement by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus came after the UN health agency's emergency committee met. The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday declared MPOX a public health emergency on the continent.
The WHO said Africa has already recorded more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths this year, surpassing last year's totals.
So far, more than 96% of all cases and deaths have been concentrated in one country, Congo, and scientists are concerned that a new strain of the disease that may be more easily transmitted from person to person is spreading there.
Here's what we know about MPOX and what can be done to contain it.
What is mpox?
Mpox, also known as monkeypox, was first identified by scientists during an outbreak of a “chickenpox-like” disease among monkeys in 1958. Until recently, most human cases were seen in people in Central and West Africa who had close contact with infected animals.
In 2022, the virus was confirmed to be spread through sexual contact for the first time and caused outbreaks in more than 70 countries around the world where MPOX had not previously been reported.
Mpox is in the same family of viruses as smallpox, but causes milder symptoms such as fever, chills and body aches. In more severe cases, lesions may appear on the face, hands, chest and genitals.
What is happening in Africa that is causing so much concern?
The number of cases is rising dramatically. Last week, the Africa CDC reported that MPOX had been detected in at least 13 African countries. Compared to the same period last year, the number of cases is up 160 percent and the number of deaths is up 19 percent, the agency said.
Earlier this year, scientists reported the emergence of a new form of MPOX in a mining town in Congo that could kill up to 10 percent of people and spread more easily.
Previous MPOX outbreaks have primarily affected the chest, hands and feet, but the new type of MPOX has milder symptoms and affects the genitals, making it harder to detect and potentially making others sick without realizing it.
The WHO said MPOX had recently been confirmed for the first time in four East African countries – Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. All of those outbreaks were linked to the Congo epidemic. Tedros said he was concerned about the further spread of the disease within and beyond Africa.
In Côte d'Ivoire and South Africa, health authorities have reported the outbreak of a less dangerous strain that differs from the MPOX that spread worldwide in 2022.
What does a state of emergency mean?
The WHO's emergency declarations are meant to spur aid agencies and countries to act, but so far the global response to them has been mixed.
Africa CDC Director Jean Kaseya said the agency's public health emergency declaration was intended to “mobilize our organizations, collective will and resources to take swift and decisive action.” He said the rapidly growing number of cases in Africa has been largely ignored, and he called on Africa's international partners to help.
“It's clear that current control strategies are not working and it's clear that more resources are needed,” said Michael Marks, professor of medicine at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. “If (a global emergency declaration) is the mechanism by which we get out of these situations, then it is justified,” he said.
What makes the current epidemic in Africa different from the 2022 epidemic?
During the 2022 global MPOX epidemic, the majority of cases were among gay and bisexual men, and the virus spread primarily through close contact, including sexual activity.
Similar trends have been observed in Africa, but in the Congo, children under the age of 15 now account for more than 70% of MPOX cases and 85% of deaths.
Ahead of the emergency meeting, Tedros said authorities were dealing with multiple MPOX outbreaks in different countries “with different patterns of transmission and levels of risk.”
“Stopping this spread requires a tailored and comprehensive response,” he said.
Greg Lamb, Save the Children's Congo director, said the organization is particularly concerned about the spread of measles in crowded refugee camps in the east, where 345,000 children are “crammed into tents in unsanitary conditions.” He said the country's health system is already “breaking down” under the strain of malnutrition, measles and cholera.
Dr. Bogma Titanzi, an infectious disease expert at Emory University, said it's unclear why children in Congo are so disproportionately affected by MPOX. It could be because children are more susceptible to the virus, or it could be due to social factors such as overcrowding or exposure to sick parents, she said.
How can I stop mpox?
The MPOX outbreak, which broke out in dozens of countries in 2022, was largely contained through the use of vaccines and treatments in wealthy countries and by persuading people to avoid risky behaviors. But few vaccines or treatments are available in Africa.
Marks, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said vaccinations, including against smallpox, a related virus, would probably help.
“We need a large supply of vaccines to vaccinate those most at risk,” he said, adding that this included sex workers, children and adults living in hotspots.
Congo said it was in talks with donor countries about donating vaccines and had received financial assistance from Britain and the United States.
The WHO said it has already disbursed $1.45 million from its emergency fund to support the MPOX response in Africa, but that it needs an initial $15 million to fund the response.
___
Associated Press writer Christina Malkia in Kinshasa, Republic of the Congo contributed to this report.
___
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science Education Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
