The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following an outbreak of the virus in parts of Africa.
That comes as health officials also warn of a sharp rise in cases in Toronto.
On Tuesday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also announced that the mpox outbreaks were a public health emergency, with more than 500 deaths so far this year, and called for international help to stop the virus’ spread.
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“This is something that should concern us all … The potential for further spread beyond Africa and beyond is very worrying,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a Wednesday media conference.
Mpox can spread through close contact. Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. It causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.
The Africa CDC previously said that mpox, previously known as monkeypox, has been detected in 13 countries this year, and that more than 96 per cent of all cases and deaths are in Congo. Cases are up 160 per cent and deaths are up 19 per cent compared with the same period last year. So far, there have been more than 14,000 cases.
More to come.
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