Just two years after the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO has declared a global health emergency for a surge in Mpox cases across the world.
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 03: A vial of the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine sits on a table at a pop-up vaccination clinic which opened today by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health at the West Hollywood Library on August 3, 2022, in West Hollywood, California. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on August 1st over the monkeypox outbreak which continues to grow globally. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images).
By Maliyah Simone, CRDN
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
The WHO declared the spread of Mpox to be a global health emergency in 2022 as cases were found in over 70 regions and countries. This prompted drastic measures to be taken to control the outbreak. Currently, there are nearly 99,000 cases of Mpox across the world, with a majority of cases occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Mpox virus closely resembles smallpox or chickenpox with an inflamed rash, severe flu-like symptoms, and lethargy. Mpox is not easily spread, one can only get it through close contact with an infected individual; whereas COVID19 is spread by water droplets in the air caused by coughing, sneezing, and talking. Those with weaker immune systems are more susceptible to severe infection which may result in death. Unlike COVID, Mpox is a much easier virus to overcome as we already have developed treatments, vaccinations, and therapies.
Up until 2022 the WHO and Africa CDC had only identified one clade (variant) of the Mpox virus; however, in 2022 clade Ib began showing up in the cases. This clade is more severe and easier to transmit to others. Prior to the clade Ib discovery, Mpox was typically passed through people through sexual intercourse; Mpox is now transferred by close contact between people. For this reason, there has been an uptick in cases involving children; due to their play activities and lack of proper hygiene practices. Unfortunately, the rise in infection in children has resulted in the population accounting for nearly 85% of the deaths related to Mpox in Central Africa.
The DRC is highly susceptible to the Mpox virus as the country struggles through war, famine, and a crippled healthcare system. Since the first Mpox case was charted in 1970, the country has had a hard time tracking their cases and offering treatment for the illness; the number of outbreaks has spread due to a lack of vaccine availability.
As with the COVID-19 pandemic, the pharmaceutical companies that developed the vaccine have prioritized financial gain over the prevention of a potential pandemic. While America has already begun administering the vaccine to highly populated cities across the country, Africa’s CDC says they only have about 280,000 doses of the vaccine; they need an additional 10 million in order to stop the spread.
Canada has announced that there are now 93 cases in Toronto, five times the amount that was reported last year. Fortunately, the country’s Mpox vaccine stores contain enough doses to support the growing number of cases.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a very hard time for many people; 350,000 people died in 2020 alone. Although Mpox is rapidly spreading, scientists are confident that our preparedness, i.e., treatments and vaccines, will prevent the declaration of a pandemic.