Sebastian Condrea | Moment | Getty Images
The World Health Organization has declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following the spread of an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries.
Since then, new cases of the virus have been identified outside the continent, in countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, Sweden and Pakistan.
Health authorities are concerned that many of the new cases in Africa have been identified as a new, more lethal strain, known as clade 1b. The new strain has also been confirmed outside the continent, in Thailand.
CNBC takes a look at what we know so far.
What is mpox?
Mpox is a viral infection It is spread through close contact, including sexual contact. It causes flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills and muscle aches, as well as pus-filled lesions. Although it is usually mild, it can be fatal.
Broadly speaking, there are two types of MPOX, known as clades, and the latest outbreak was identified as clade 1. The current strain appears to spread more easily and has a higher mortality rate compared to the 2022 strain known as clade 2.
It also appears to disproportionately affect young people, with most deaths occurring among children.
Why are cases increasing?
According to the WHO, a new branch of clade 1, known as clade 1b, may be responsible for the recent increase in cases.
WHO said clade 1b is spreading from person to person, often through sexual contact. Although it was first identified in 2024, it is believed to have emerged in the Democratic Republic of the Congo around 2023.
“The clade Ib-associated outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo primarily affects adults and is spreading rapidly, sustained largely, but not exclusively, through sexually-linked transmission and amplified in networks associated with commercial sex and sex workers,” the health organization said in a statement on August 19.
Where are the cases?
In addition to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, clade 1b cases have been identified in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Thailand.
Clade 1 cases have been reported in the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo and Sweden.
Cases related to the milder clade 2 have been reported in Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria, South Africa, the Philippines and Pakistan.
What does the WHO statement mean?
The status of “public health emergency of international concern” is the WHO's highest designation and is intended to accelerate public health measures and international cooperation to contain a disease.
“It is clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” he said. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said when the statement was made on August 14.
“The detection and rapid spread of a new mpox clade in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, its detection in neighbouring countries that had not previously reported mpox, and the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond are of great concern,” he added.
However, Dr Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, stressed last week that Mpox is “not the new Covid”.
In a statement released Tuesday, Kluge rejected comparisons between mpox and the coronavirus pandemic and said the risk to the general population is low.
“We can and must tackle the MPOX problem together, across all regions and continents,” Kluge said.
What are the authorities doing?
Vaccines to treat the virus exist, but access is a problem. WHO is working with countries and vaccine manufacturers to increase access to them in affected countries.
The UN health agency said it has so far released $1.45 million in contingency funding and may need to release more in the coming days. It expects immediate funding of an initial $15 million will be needed for its response plan.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has entered into a partnership with vaccine maker Bavarian Nordic, which it says will help deliver 2 million doses this year, on top of existing ones, and 10 million by the end of 2025.
Bavarian Nordic said it is also supplying vaccines to countries outside Africa and is seeking approval from the European Union's drug regulator to expand use of its mpox vaccine for adolescents.
