WHO Declares Mpox Uptick a Global Health Emergency

The World Health Organization recently declared the uptick in mpox cases across multiple African nations a public health emergency. As of this year, the virus has been responsible for over 500 fatalities across the continent, indicating a significant increase in its virulence and prevalence.

The newly identified clade 1b variant of the mpox virus, which is a descendant of the previously established clade 1 variant found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has also been identified as it spreads across eastern Congo and into neighboring areas that were previously unaffected by this variant. The existing spread of the virus is a cause of worry, as the mpox virus was originally identified in human patients over 50 years ago. Furthermore, the spread of the newly identified variant outside of the African continent was confirmed by Swedish health authorities, presenting the world with its first case of clade 1 variant outside of the continent. Nevertheless, Swedish authorities determined that the risk of transmission to the general public is low. This incident demonstrates the volatile nature of mpox and the need for continued surveillance and response structures for public health around the globe.