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Global health experts are expressing serious concerns about the spread of mpox, a virus that has recently emerged from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and is now affecting regions with limited resources for effective tracking and management. The virus, historically a public health issue in parts of Africa since the 1970s, gained international attention in 2022 when it surged globally, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a global health emergency. This declaration was lifted 10 months later, but the situation has taken a new turn with the emergence of a novel strain.
The new strain, known as Clade 1b, is a mutated variant of Clade 1, a form of mpox that has been endemic in Congo for decades. The WHO reports that Congo has seen over 18,000 suspected cases and 615 deaths from both Clade 1 and Clade 1b this year. Additionally, 222 confirmed Clade 1b cases have been reported across four African countries in the past month, with individual cases detected in Sweden and Thailand among travelers recently returned from Africa.
Dr. Dimie Ogoina, an infectious diseases expert at Niger Delta University Hospital in Nigeria and chair of the WHO’s mpox emergency committee, has raised alarms about the challenges faced in managing the outbreak. “I worry that in Africa, we are working blindly,” Dr. Ogoina said, emphasizing the difficulties in understanding the outbreak’s dynamics and the virus’s mutation patterns. Dr. Ogoina, who first highlighted the potential for sexual transmission of mpox in 2017, now cites the virus’s evolving nature as a significant concern.
The current lack of adequate funding and equipment in many affected regions is exacerbating the problem, as it hampers effective tracking and response efforts. Scientists and researchers are struggling with limited access to essential chemicals for diagnostic tests, and some of the latest strains of the virus may evade detection by existing tests.
The WHO has indicated that children, pregnant women, and individuals with compromised immune systems are at increased risk of severe mpox disease and death. As the virus continues to spread and mutate, experts stress the urgent need for more research to better understand its transmission dynamics and develop effective countermeasures.
The emergence of Clade 1b and its rapid spread across borders underscore the necessity for enhanced global surveillance and response strategies to tackle the evolving mpox threat and prevent further public health crises.