Discovery of New Mpox Strain in Congo (DRC) Sparks Global Alarm

A newly identified strain of Mpox, also known as monkeypox, has been detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and reported in several neighboring countries, raising fears of the virus’s potential spread two years after the last global outbreak.

This strain, which has been dubbed “Clade Ib,” was first identified in DRC in September 2023 and is believed to be more lethal and transmissible than previous strains.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern over its ability to spread from person to person.

In response to this emerging threat, the WHO is considering convening an expert committee to assess whether this outbreak should be classified as an international emergency—a designation it applied during the global Mpox outbreak in 2022.

Clade Ib presents with widespread skin rashes, in contrast to earlier strains that typically caused localized eruptions and lesions primarily on the face, mouth, or genital areas.

As of August 3rd, the African Union’s Africa CDC reported 14,479 confirmed and suspected cases in the DRC, with 455 fatalities, resulting in a case fatality rate of approximately 3%.

Researchers in the region indicate that the mortality rate for this new strain could reach 10% among children, with the government acknowledging in July that cases were rising exponentially.

The disease has primarily been reported among displaced persons in camps around Goma, in North Kivu, where high population density is creating critical health risks. Louis Albert Massing, the medical coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) in the region, warned that population movements in this conflict-affected area increase the likelihood of an outbreak.

The impact of Clade Ib has already crossed borders; in the last two weeks, cases have been confirmed in Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, and Kenya.

According to Rosamund Lewis, who leads Mpox response efforts at the WHO, authorities in these countries have acknowledged the presence of Mpox, particularly in Burundi, which has reported 127 cases without specifying the strain involved.

The East African Community (EAC) is urging member states to educate their citizens on preventive measures against virus transmission.

This marks the first time that countries in eastern DRC have reported cases of Mpox, indicating an extension of the outbreak occurring in DRC and Central Africa.

The Africa CDC has also documented 35 confirmed and suspected cases, including two deaths in Cameroon, 146 cases with one fatality in Congo-Brazzaville, 227 cases in the Central African Republic, 24 in Nigeria, 5 in Liberia, and 4 in Ghana.

In West Africa, Côte d’Ivoire recently reported six confirmed non-fatal cases, five of which were found in the economic capital, Abidjan, without identifying the strain.

Mpox was first discovered in humans in 1970 in the area now known as DRC (formerly Zaire), primarily confined to West and Central Africa, with infections typically originating from contact with infected animals.

In May 2022, a global outbreak associated with another virus subtype primarily affected gay and bisexual men, leading to about 140 deaths among approximately 90,000 cases reported across 111 countries, driven by the Clade II subtype.

Although the 2022 outbreak is still ongoing, particularly in South Africa, where 24 cases including three deaths have been reported, it is currently under control and circulating at lower levels.

The WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphasized at the beginning of July that Mpox continues to pose a global health threat.

Rosamund Lewis noted that the ability of countries to promptly detect cases is due to improved disease surveillance, laboratory capacity, and effective communication with affected communities.

The recent increase in Mpox cases can be attributed to enhanced monitoring capabilities, according to Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s director for epidemic prevention.

While there is a limited supply of vaccines available for Mpox, negotiations are ongoing between the WHO and impacted countries to facilitate access to these vaccines.

© Agence France-Presse

Source: Defi Media