Mpox: WHO declares global emergency due to “monkeypox” variant | Life & Knowledge

In 2022, Mpox outbreaks were well controlled worldwide. Now there is a new, worrying variant. The World Health Organization (WHO) is reacting.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has activated its highest alert level due to a new variant of the Mpox virus in Africa. It has declared a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” (PHEIC).

She sees the risk that the Mpox after 2022, it could spread internationally again and become a health risk in several countries. The WHO followed the recommendation of independent experts. The emergency declaration has no concrete consequences. Rather, the warning is intended to alert authorities around the world so that they can prepare for possible outbreaks.

New Mpox variant discovered

The WHO's concern relates, among other things, to a new virus variant that was discovered in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo at the end of 2023. It could be more contagious than previous variants and cause more severe disease. Detailed studies on this are still pending.

The European Health Authority ECDC assessed the risk of the new variant spreading in Europe as “very low” at the end of July. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), there are currently no known cases of the new variant in Germany.

Vaccine against classic smallpox protects

Mpox viruses were originally found mainly in rodents in West and Central Africa. Transmission from person to person is also possible through close contact, such as during sex. Typical symptoms of the disease include fever and pustules on the skin. In severe cases, the disease can be fatal. The vaccine against the smallpox virus also protects against infection with the Mpox virus.

The African health authority CDC reported from the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries have already reported more than 14,000 suspected cases and more than 500 deaths this year.

Outbreak quickly under control in 2022

The WHO had already declared an emergency due to Mpox in July 2022. At that time, there were cases in more than 60 countries, including Germany. So far, around 3,800 cases have been reported to the RKI, the majority of them (around 3,700 cases) from early summer to autumn 2022.

The emergency was lifted in May 2023 because the outbreaks in most countries were also Vaccines had been brought under control. In Africa and other countries in the global south, however, there are problems with the supply of vaccines.