Africa declares state of emergency over new monkeypox virus | Health

The Democratic Republic of Congo has registered more than 13,700 cases and 450 deaths since the beginning of the year. The virus, which causes a blistering rash covering the entire body, has reportedly spread to other African countries, including Burundi, the Central African Republic, Kenya and Rwanda. BBC.

The declaration of a public health emergency allows African countries to coordinate action and can increase the flow of medical supplies and aid to areas affected by the infection. Jean Kasaya, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned that the disease could spiral out of control if immediate action is not taken to contain it.

Health organizations outside Africa are also monitoring the situation to assess whether the outbreak may continue to spread. On July 29, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) announced that the risk of monkeypox spreading in Europe is low.

Monkeypox is spread through close contact between animals and humans, as well as between people. The virus is spread sexually through skin-to-skin contact and can also be spread through droplet infection. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and a blistering rash that spreads over the body. If not treated promptly, the disease can be fatal.

There are two main strains of monkeypox. A milder strain that broke out globally in 2022, affecting Europe, Australia, the United States and many other countries, is primarily spread through sexual contact. The second, more deadly strain is primarily found in Central Africa and also evolved from a new variant recently discovered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

There are three vaccines against monkeypox, but they are usually only given to people who are at risk or have been exposed to infection. The Africa CDC plans to procure about 10 million doses of the vaccine to curb the spread of the disease.