New Delhi: Health experts warned on Thursday that immediate and decisive action against Mpox (previously known as monkeypox) is crucial to mobilise resources and stop the deadly infectious illness’s spread. The urgency is underscored by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) declaration of a global health emergency for the disease.
As per the WHO, Mpox infections have now reached a staggering 13 African countries, including the Congo, where 14,000 cases and 524 deaths have been recorded. This underscores the severity of the outbreak and the urgent need for action.
Mpox has become an emergency for the second time in the last three years.
The WHO’s highest health alarm is a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).
The virus that causes Mpox is a zoonotic illness initially detected in research lab monkeys in the 1950s. The first human case was not found until 1970.
According to the UN health body, the recent spike in infections is caused by Clade 1b, a subset of Clade I.
Clade 1b of the Mpox virus is thought to have transitioned from animal to human as late as September 2023.
“Unlike the previous clade, the current strain — Clade 1b — spreads among men and women through close and sexual contact. This time, children living in the household are also getting affected, and the death rate is higher than the 2022 outbreak,” Dr Rajeev Jayadevan, co-chairman of the Indian Medical Association’s National Covid-19 Task Force, told IANS.
“This means the virus has acquired the potential to spread more efficiently in multiple neighbouring countries, and an early call for action will not only mobilise resources to contain the outbreak in Africa, but also prepare the world to tackle global spread in case it occurred,” he added.
According to the latest WHO situation report on Mpox, India reported 27 laboratory-confirmed cases and one death between January 2022 and June 2024.
The report also noted that four new countries in Eastern Africa — Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda — have reported their first Mpox cases.
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The Africa CDC has also declared a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security (PHECS). It reported that the suspected cases in the first half of 2024 have exceeded 17,000, representing a four-fold increase since 2022.
Infectious disease expert Dr Ishwar Gilada told IANS that the disease has no parallels with Covid-19.
“Mpox can cause fever, rashes, lymph node enlargement, and some people can get a systemic infection. The rash, which is a key symptom, typically starts on the face and spreads to other parts of the body. It goes through different phases before it finally dries up,” Dr. Gilada explained.
“It is not spread by aerosols. There is an extremely remote possibility of its spread through droplets, or surfaces. Masks will not provide any protection from Mpox,” said Dr Gilada, also an HIV/STD consultant, Secretary General People’s Health Organisation-India and OMAG.
Calling Mpox a “21st Century’s sexually transmitted disease (STD)”, the expert said it is majorly sexually transmitted, with 99 per cent of cases seen among men who have sex with men (MSM).
Dr. Basavaraj S Kumbar, Consultant—Internal Medicine, Aster Whitefield Hospital, Bengaluru, told IANS that the disease typically begins with flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, muscle pains, and tiredness.
It then proceeds to “a unique rash which typically starts on the face and spreads to other parts of the body. This rash goes through different phases before it finally dries up,” Dr. Kumbar said. One thing that distinguishes Mpox from other viral infections is swollen lymph nodes, he added.
There is currently no proven treatment against Mpox. Dr Gilada said Jynneos and Bavarian Nordic vaccines could prevent Mpox, calling on India to develop its own vaccine, like SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the COVID-19 pandemic.
“India’s strength in vaccine production should be positively exploited,” Dr. Gilada said.
Dr Kumbar strongly advised the public to take preventive measures, such as avoiding close contact with anyone displaying symptoms, especially those with an unexplained rash. He also recommended good hygiene practices such as frequent handwashing using soap and water and sanitising hands. By following these measures, we can all play a part in preventing the spread of Mpox.
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