What is mpox, what countries is it in and how do you catch it?

Mpox disease is caused by the monkeypox virus. This is from the same group of viruses as smallpox but is much less harmful.

The virus was originally transmitted from animals to humans but now also passes between humans.

It is most common in remote villages in the tropical rainforests of Africa, in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).

In these regions, there are thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths from the disease every year – with children under 15 worst affected.

Two main strains of the virus have been circulating.

“Clade I” is endemic in central Africa. “Clade Ib” is the new, more virulent type of the virus involved in the current outbreak.

Africa CDC says there were more than14,500 mpox infections and over 450 deaths from mpox between the start of 2024 and the end of July. That is a 160% increase in infections and a 19% increase in deaths compared with the same period in 2023.

While 96% of mpox cases are in DR Congo, the disease has spread to many neighbouring countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, where it is not normally endemic.

A milder strain of mpox called “Clade II”, which exists in West Africa, caused a global outbreak in 2022.

It spread to nearly 100 countries which do not normally see the virus, including some in Europe and Asia, but was brought under control by vaccinating vulnerable groups.

There is poor access to mpox vaccines and treatments in DR Congo and health officials are concerned about the spread of the disease.

Experts say the new strain may be spreading more easily, causing more serious disease and more deaths in children and adults.