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World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed on Wednesday that the emergency committee that advises him on epidemic outbreaks with potential international impact will analyze whether mpox (formerly “monkeypox”) As a health emergency.
Cases of this disease, This has become an international health emergency between 2022 and 2023, and cases in Africa are multiplying. 50 cases have been confirmed, with several suspected cases in four neighbouring countries, the main source of infection: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The cases were reported for the first time in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, while in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, cases were also observed in unaffected provinces.
In 2022, dozens of cases were reported outside Africa; Including the United States and Latin America.
The World Health Organization has stressed that it does not recommend any travel restrictions to African countries that have reported cases in recent months.
So far, different MPOX variants have been discovered, the first one, called variant 1, has been circulating in Congo for many years, while variant 2 caused the 2022 outbreak.
The origin of the current outbreak is a sub-variant of the first outbreak. Known as 1bTedros told a news conference that the virus, which causes more severe illness than variant 2, has been found in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria and South Africa.
Sexual intercourse is the main route of transmission
Rosamund Lewis, head of the WHO technical team tracking the evolution of MPox, explained to reporters that the 1b variant has been recorded to spread only from person to person, in circles of sexual contact, although an increasing number of cases are being detected of infections within families and communities.
However, he clarified that this does not necessarily mean it is more transmissible, something that will be determined in ongoing analysis.
exist Household, transmission occurs through direct contact with an infected personor through aerosols it emits, through the use of contaminated bed sheets or towels, or through sharing the same bed.
Although a lower percentage of children are affected, they are more susceptible to the disease.
Based on available data from the DRC situation, the mortality rate due to MPOX is 3.6%. (I)
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