Mpox cases in Africa surge to over 18,700 as new deadly clade 1b strain spreads
PTC News Desk: Since the beginning of the year, Africa has reported a total of 18,737 suspected or confirmed cases of mpox, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This includes a concerning spike of 1,200 cases in just one week, as of the CDC’s update on Saturday.
The reported cases encompass three strains of the mpox virus, including the newly identified Clade 1b strain, which is both more deadly and more transmissible. This strain prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare an international health emergency on Wednesday—the organisation’s highest level of alert.
The breakdown of cases includes 3,101 confirmed and 15,636 suspected cases across 12 African Union member states, with the outbreak resulting in 541 deaths, equating to a fatality rate of 2.89 per cent, according to the CDC.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been the hardest hit, with 1,005 cases reported in just one week, including 222 confirmed and 783 suspected cases. The outbreak in the DRC has also resulted in 24 deaths. All 26 provinces of the DRC, which has a population of approximately 100 million, have reported cases.
Neighbouring Burundi has also seen a significant increase, with 173 cases reported—39 confirmed and 134 suspected—marking a 75 percent rise in cases over the same period.
Also Read: Surge in Monkeypox cases: WHO calls emergency meeting on mpox spread from Congo
A global emergency
On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an international health emergency in response to the ongoing mpox outbreak, a significant escalation in the global health alert level. This follows a surge in research funding and scientific studies since the 2022 mpox outbreak in developed countries, which markedly increased focus on the disease.
Remarkably, a single medical search engine has documented more research on mpox since April 2022 than in the previous sixty years combined. Despite this, the outbreak of 2022-23 has highlighted ongoing issues, with African researchers repeatedly calling for greater global investment in diagnostic, therapeutic, and infection prevention tools.
The current surge in mpox cases in central Africa has been classified by the WHO as a public health emergency of international concern. This designation underscores the need for a coordinated international response to manage and contain the outbreak, preventing further spread to other countries.
Mpox, initially discovered in 1958 in captive monkeys—leading to its original name “monkeypox”—was first identified in humans in 1970. For decades, it was largely neglected by the scientific and public health communities, seen as an infrequent infection confined to remote rural areas in tropical Africa, with limited global relevance.
Since the beginning of this year, the number of reported mpox cases has already surpassed the total for 2023, which saw 14,383 cases according to the Africa CDC. Notably, the first cases of mpox outside Africa were recorded this week in Sweden and Pakistan. The WHO’s emergency committee is expected to release its initial recommendations soon, and alongside various NGOs, there is a call to increase vaccine production.
The new Clade 1b strain of mpox is particularly concerning due to its tendency to cause widespread skin eruptions, unlike previous variants that typically resulted in localised lesions around the mouth, face, or genitals. While the Clade 1 variant, known for its higher fatality rate, has been endemic in the Congo Basin for decades, the recent upsurge demands immediate global attention and action.