Mpox in Africa: New strain declared a continental public health emergency

The declaration of a public health emergency will help governments co-ordinate their response and potentially increase the flow of medical supplies and aid into affected areas.

Health chiefs outside Africa will also be monitoring the situation to assess the risk of the outbreak spreading further.

On 29 July, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said the risk from the mpox virus was “very low” in Europe.

Mpox spreads from animals to humans and between people through close contact with someone who is infected – including through sex, skin-to-skin contact and talking or breathing close to another person.

It can cause symptoms such as fever, muscle aches and lesions across the body. If left untreated, mpox can be deadly.

There are two main strains of the virus known to exist. The milder one caused the global outbreak in 2022 that affected Europe, Australia, the US and many other countries – and was mainly spread through sexual contact.

The second more deadly strain, endemic in central Africa, is behind the new recently discovered variant in DR Congo.

There are three vaccines that exist but only people at risk or who have been in close contact with an infected person are usually able to have it.