The World Health Organization has declared mpox a global public health emergency, as cases surge across Africa, driven by a new, more virulent strain of the virus.
More than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths have been recorded across the continent this year, the WHO said. The majority of infections and deaths were among kids under 15.Â
“It’s clear that a co-ordinated international response is essential to stop this outbreak and save lives,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday.
The preferred name for the viral disease going forward will be ‘mpox,’ the World Health Organization announced Monday
The last time the WHO declared a global public health emergency was in response to the 2022 global mpox outbreak, which infected nearly 100,000 and killed more than 200 in 116 countries.
This wave is being driven by a different variant of the virus, one scientists believe to be deadlier and faster spreading. Cases have been skyrocketing particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and spilling into other countries.Â
The WHO declaration came a day after the Africa Centers for Disease Control declared an unprecedented continental public health emergency over the virus.
Africa’s CDC says the continent is about 10 million vaccine doses short of what it would need to quell the outbreak before it can spread internationally.
Canadian officials have said there are currently no plans to share this country’s vaccine stockpile — a decision some experts are urging Canada to reconsider.
Asked about the mpox risk in this country, Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases specialist with the University of Toronto and Toronto General Hospital, said he would describe the current outbreak as a “regional issue.”
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congo is struggling to contain its biggest mpox outbreak, and scientists say a new form of the disease detected in a mi…
“But as we know, infections don’t stay put. And with human mobility patterns the way they are, it would not be unexpected to see cases exported elsewhere.”
A public health emergency
A public health emergency of international concern is the WHO’s highest level of alert.
The WHO defines a global health emergency as “an extraordinary event” posing a threat to other nations through the international spread of disease, which “may require immediate international action.”
It does not necessarily relate to how transmissible or lethal a disease is.
The alert ultimately serves as a “call to action” for the international community to co-ordinate a response to emerging threats.
The Africa CDC’s emergency declaration was the first since that organization’s inception in 2017. The move will help to mobilize resources across affected countries, unlock further funding, boost surveillance and testing among member states and more.
What is mpox?
Len Tooley became very sick in mid-June, and then noticed a pox appear. He still has symptoms and says sufferers lack daily guidance and care.
Mpox is a viral disease endemic to parts of central and West Africa. It’s known to cause painful, fluid-filled skin lesions as well as the typical hallmarks of viral infection, such as fever, headache, muscle aches and low energy.
Most patients will fully recover, but some can fall severely ill.
The virus primarily spreads through physical or sexual contact with people who are infected, contaminated materials or animals harbouring the disease, according to the WHO. Anyone can get mpox.
During the 2022 global mpox outbreak, the majority of cases in Canada were among men who have sex with men. But this outbreak in Africa looks different, Bogoch explained.
So far this year, children under 15 made up 70 per cent of mpox cases in the DRC — accounting for 85 per cent of the total deaths.
A deadly new strain
There are two kinds of mpox, clade I and clade II.
A variant of clade II sparked 2022’s global mpox outbreak; this strain is still circulating around the world and in Africa today.
But in recent months, a newly discovered variant of clade I began rapidly spreading across the DRC, spilling over into neighbouring countries.
This variant, named clade Ib, appears to be spreading faster with deadlier results — clade I mortality rates can reach as high as 10 per cent. Clade II has a mortality rate of up to around four per cent.
It remains unclear whether the symptoms of this new strain differ from clade II, or exactly how transmissible or dangerous it really is.
Is Canada at risk?
As of July 31, Toronto has recorded 93 cases of mpox in 2024, up from 21 during the same period last year.
Dr. Rita Shahin, an associate medical officer of health at Toronto Public Health, said it would be “very unlikely” for the new variant to be imported into Canada at the moment.
“The cases that are occurring in Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring countries, are a different strain of the virus” than the one circulating in Canada, she said. “There’s not a lot of travel between Canada and the countries where the outbreak is.”
A spokesperson for the Public Health Agency of Canada confirmed there have been no confirmed cases of Clade I mpox in the country, adding that Canada has the capability to test for both Clade I and II mpox.
PHAC “continues to support provincial and territorial partners with national mpox case and wastewater surveillance,” it said.
Bogoch noted that, because mpox spreads through close, prolonged physical or sexual contact, “This is not one of those infections that can explode around the world in a short period of time.
“There’s ample time to mitigate the outbreak in African settings with the tools we have, including vaccinations and therapeutics.”
Meanwhile, Clade II mpox is still spreading in Canada. Toronto recently saw a spike in cases following summer festivities, making for 93 infections this year as of July 31 — compared to 21 cases by the same time last year.
What’s the situation in Africa?
More than 96 per cent of mpox cases were located in the DRC. In a single week this month, the country reported nearly 2,400 infections and 56 deaths.
Continentwide, cases have risen 160 per cent and deaths 19 per cent compared to the same period last year.
In the Africa CDC’s briefing Tuesday, epidemiologist Salim Abdool Karim warned the reported numbers may be “just the tip of the iceberg,” partly due to limited surveillance in the region.
Mpox cases have surged by 160% in Africa so far this year, but few treatments and vaccines available
Officials said nearly 70% of cases in Congo are in children younger than 15, who also accounted for 85% of deaths.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa CDC, added their emergency declaration also served as a “call to action.”
The continent needs 10 million vaccines, but an agreement with vaccine manufacturer Bavarian Nordic will only provide 200,000 — not nearly enough to meet demand.
“We need to have vaccines,” he said, noting the threat of another global mpox outbreak should this one not be quelled. “We have a limited availability of vaccines, and it is a major challenge.”
Canada’s not planning on sending mpox vaccines to Africa
PHACÂ told the Globe and Mail it does not plan on sharing its mpox vaccine stockpile with any other countries, including hard-hit African states.
In a statement to the Star, a spokesperson for PHAC said Canada had not yet received a request for vaccine donations from the affected countries, the WHO or Gavi, an international organization helping co-ordinate vaccine donations for this outbreak.
“Canada is exploring additional avenues to support the global response in close collaboration with WHO and Gavi,” the spokesperson continued, adding that the nation contributed $2 million to the WHO’s Contingency Fund for Emergencies this year.
Dr. Adam Houston, the medical policy and advocacy officer with Doctors Without Borders Canada, told the Star PHAC’s reported decision is in line with Canada’s historical stinginess with its vaccine supply — the nation doesn’t appear to have shared its vaccines globally during the 2022 mpox outbreak either.
It’s not for a lack of supply. While PHAC declined to share how many mpox vaccines it has stockpiled over “national security reasons,” Houston said Canada has at least several million shots available today, after extending its supply contract with Bavarian Nordic in 2022.
Meanwhile, other countries are stepping up. The U.S. recently pledged $424 million in new aid to tackle the DRC outbreak, including 50,000 mpox vaccines.
It’s time for the nation to think about “how many doses does Canada actually need, versus this massive international shortfall of vaccines,” Houston said.
“As we saw in 2022, this is a disease that absolutely has potential to spread globally. There’s a lot of logic in trying to stop it before it spreads.”
With files from Megan Ogilvie
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