Mutant Mpox strain declared global threat after spread across 13 countries - and Europe may be next

MUTANT mpox has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation after its rapid spread to 13 countries.

Scientists at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) sounded the alarm this week as the new virus spreads rapidly across the continent.

Since the start of 2024, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has seen over 13,700 cases and 450 deaths.

The deadlier, more aggressive strain of the virus, formerly known as monkeypox, has now spread across Africa to 12 other countries including Burundi, the Central African Republic (CAR), Kenya, and Rwanda.

The DRC has been battling with its variant, called “clade 1a”, for decades.

This version is more deadly, with a fatality rate of around five per cent in adults and 10 per cent in children, compared to three per cent for its predecessor.

Labelling the outbreak as a global health emergency will push governments to act faster and potentially boost vital medical supplies and aid for the affected regions.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned: "In the past month, about 90 cases of clade 1b have been reported in four countries neighbouring the DRC that have not reported mpox before: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

"But we are not dealing with one outbreak of one clade – we are dealing with several outbreaks of different clades in different countries with different modes of transmission and different levels of risk.

"Stopping these outbreaks will require a tailored and comprehensive response, with communities at the centre, as always.

"In light of the expanding outbreak in east and central Africa, and the potential for further international spread within and outside Africa, I have convened this Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations to advise me on whether the outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern."

WHO'S labelling of a “public health emergency of international concern” is meant to encourage member countries to begin preparing for the virus.

This could entail the sharing of vaccines and treatments with poorer nations.

Africa CDC head Jean Kaseya warned the disease could spiral out of control if immediate steps were not taken to contain it.

"This declaration is not merely a formality. It is a clarion call to action. It is a recognition that we can no longer afford to be reactive.

"We must be proactive and aggressive in our efforts to contain and eliminate this threat," he said.

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




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