Mpox virus spreads beyond Africa: Authorities track new variant

A senior World Health Organization official simply stated: “Mpox is not the new COVID.” But with the discovery of new cases outside Africa as a newly emerging strain there appears to be more contagious, concerns about Mpox are growing in the wake of a coronavirus pandemic that has claimed about 15 million lives worldwide.

Thailand confirmed an Mpox infection on Wednesday, although it is unclear whether it came from the new clade Ib variant that is driving a growing epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This new variant has spread to at least 12 countries in Africa and one in Europe. More than 17,000 cases and 517 deaths have been reported in 13 African countries this year. More than 95% of these cases and deaths have occurred in Congo.

Last week, Sweden became the first country outside Africa to report an infection with the Ib strain that could be traced back to a person who had travelled to the continent. The day before, the WHO had declared the Mpox virus an international health emergency.

Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, rejected the idea that Mpox could follow the deadly course of COVID, but warned: “We can and must fight Mpox together, across regions and continents.”

What is Mpox and how does it spread?

Formerly known as monkeypox because it was first discovered in that animal in 1958, monkeypox is a virus belonging to the same family as smallpox. It can be transmitted from animals to humans and between humans, typically through bodily fluids or close physical contact, as well as through contact with contaminated objects.

The two types of Mpox are Clade I and Clade II. The latter usually results in milder disease and is less likely to cause death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mpox often presents with a rash on the hands, feet, chest, face, mouth, and genital area. The lesions of the rash may become painful or itchy.

Other symptoms may be similar to those of the flu, such as sore throat or cough, runny nose, fever, chills, muscle aches and fatigue.

The CDC states that both during the Clade II strain outbreak in the United States in 2022 and in ongoing but significantly less common cases today, the virus “is still spread primarily through sexual and intimate contact, and that gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men are at highest risk for developing MPOX.”

Embedded content: https://www.usatoday.com/story/graphics/2024/08/15/mpox-who-global-health-emergency/74800667007/

How big is the threat posed by MPOX to the United States?

Mpox reached the U.S. as part of a global outbreak in 2022 that resulted in 32,000 known infections and 58 domestic deaths. All of these cases were associated with the less virulent and contagious Clade II type. The CDC says no Clade I infections have been detected in the U.S. and that the risk of this strain being introduced into the U.S. is low.

But Dr. Kyle Enfield, an associate professor and lung expert at the University of Virginia, says that because of international travel, it's likely that the more dangerous form of the virus will eventually reach American shores. He did, however, have some encouraging words for those who might be bracing for such news.

“Diseases like Mpox, which require close skin-to-skin contact or close human contact, unlike respiratory diseases, tend to spread more slowly than diseases like flu, COVID and other respiratory diseases, which simply transmit better from person to person and therefore can spread more quickly through the population,” Enfield said.

Are there treatments and vaccines?

According to the CDC, Mpox infections typically last two to four weeks and, in most cases, heal on their own without treatment. There is no specific medication for Mpox, but according to the CDC, symptoms can be treated with over-the-counter medications and prescription mouthwashes. The agency strongly advises patients not to touch or scratch the rash.

The CDC recommends the two-dose mpox vaccine for vulnerable populations in the United States and offers a vaccine search by zip code on its website. A study by the agency found that the approved JYNNEOS vaccine, given four weeks apart, is not only highly effective at preventing the disease but also helps minimize the impact of symptoms for those infected.

Mpox virus spreads beyond Africa: Authorities track new variant

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