Recently, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom has declared Mpox (Monkeypox) infection, a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005. It is the highest form of alert that can be shared by the international health body. This declaration has come after a humongous surge in its cases. Dr. Tedros made the declaration based on the advice of an IHR committee composed of independent experts.
Officials report that a new varient identified named Clade 1b is circulating very rapidly in Africa. Also, Sweden followed by Pakistan are the countries that reported the cases of Clade 1b outside African continent.
While announcing the PHEIC, Dr. Tedros said, “The emergence of a new clade of Mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC and the reporting of cases in several neighbouring countries are very worrying. On top of outbreaks of other Mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives.”
The Mpox has a complex and lengthy history, hightlighting its increasing threat to public health.
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History of Mpox-
The disease was first detected in laboratory monkeys, which gave rise to the name Mpox (monkeypox).
- 1958: Mpox was first identified in Denmark.
- 1970: A 9-month-old boy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was the first person to contract Mpox. This signaled the start of the understanding of Mpox as a disease affecting humans.
- May 2022: This was the first time that a large number of cases had been documented outside Africa.
- Late 2022-Early 2023: The cases of Mpox delined.
Transmission-
- Animals, when hunting, skinning or cooking them
- Persons, through touch, kissing or sex
- Materials, such as contaminated sheets, clothes or needles
- Pregnant persons, who may pass the virus on to their unborn baby.
Prevention-
- Tell the person you have been close to recently
- Stay at home until all scabs fall off and a new layer of skin forms
- Cover lesions and wear a mask when you are in public
- Avoid physical contact.