A mutant monkeypox outbreak has been declared a public health emergency by authorities – with key decision set to be on Wednd .
Mpox, which was previously known as monkeypox, has killed over 200 people since the start of the year and spread rapidly to 16 countries, with six new countries affected in ten days. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is experiencing the most severe outbreak.
In response the Africa Centres for Disease Control has declared the outbreak a continental public health emergency for the first time, and the World Health Organization (WHO) is also meeting on Wednesday to decide whether to trigger its highest global alert level over the epidemic.
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A public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) is “an extraordinary event which is determined to constitute a public health risk to other states through the international spread of disease” and “potentially require[s] a coordinated international response”.
Coronavirus, Ebola and Zika virus have all previously been declared PHEICs.
In 2022 the WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern when a different variant of mpox broke out. The outbreak was contained and the public health emergency was called off in May last year.
Mpox is a species of pox virus characterised by a rash followed by bumps that appear on the skin. The bumps then fill with liquid and eventually scab over.
Initial symptoms include swollen glands, fever and feeling run down – but 10% of people infected with mpox are asymptomatic.
It spreads through contact such as sharing utensils, plates, towels and bedding, with women and children affected more through skin-to-skin contact because they are close to each other every day.
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The DRC has reported more than 14,000 reported cases and 511 mpox deaths since the start of 2024.
It has been a recurring problem since it was first detected in the country in 1970, and the current outbreak has been worsening after the new variant emerged in 2023.
The new variant is more transmissible and has a higher death rate than the 2022 variant with children under-15 accounting for the most cases and deaths.
Mpox can also have a long incubation period between five to 21 days, with a person potentially becoming infected and travelling to another country without knowing they are transmitting the disease to others.
In some areas of DRC the outbreak has spread to refugee camps, which are “ideal conditions” for the virus to spread due to overcrowding and poor sanitation.
In response to the situation, the WHO announced the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee would meet to assess whether the outbreak should be declared a PHEIC – but a date has not yet been confirmed.
According to the UK Health Security Agency, there have been a total of 286 cases of mpox reported in the UK since 2023.