The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an outbreak of the Mpox virus infection a global health emergency for the second time in two years. Mpox is a viral infection transmitted through close contact. On Thursday, the WHO confirmed that a case of the Mpox virus infection in Sweden is linked to an outbreak in Africa. This is the first sign of spread outside the continent, one day after the WHO declared the disease a global health emergency.
Swedish health authorities said at a press conference that the person in Africa had become infected with Mpox type Ib, the virus responsible for the latest outbreak. The person is currently being treated.
What is MPOX and how is it created?
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease similar to smallpox. Mpox has been a public health problem in parts of Africa for decades.
The virus was first discovered in monkeys in Denmark in 1958. The first human case was detected in Congo in 1970. Since then, outbreaks have occurred repeatedly.
What are the symptoms of Mpox?
Symptoms of Mpox begin within 1-21 days after exposure and last for 2-4 weeks. The most common symptoms include rash, fever, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes.
The disease causes flu-like symptoms and purulent lesions. It is usually mild but can be fatal. Children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, such as those infected with HIV, are all at higher risk of complications.
Some people also experience painful swelling of the rectum or pain and difficulty urinating.
Mpox spreads through close contact with an infected person or animal. Human-to-human transmission can occur when there is direct contact with infected skin or other lesions such as in the mouth or genitals. According to the WHO, the virus can be transmitted from one infected person to another in the following ways:
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face to face (speaking or breathing)
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Skin-to-skin (touching or vaginal/anal sex)
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Mouth-to-mouth (kissing)
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Mouth-skin contact (oral sex or kissing the skin)
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Short-range respiratory droplets or aerosols from prolonged close contact
Transmission of the disease from animals to humans is possible through bites and scratches.
While early treatment is important to control the disease, the primary focus should be on treating the rash and relieving pain. Getting an Mpox vaccination within four days of contact with a person who has the virus can help prevent infection. In the meantime, infected people should be isolated from others. However, in case an infected person is around others, covering lesions and wearing a medical mask can help prevent spread. Similarly, using condoms during sex can help reduce the risk of Mpox infection, however it will not prevent spread through skin-to-skin or mouth-to-skin contact.
It should be noted that people infected with Mpox are contagious and can pass the disease on to others until all wounds have healed and a new layer of skin has formed.
Smallpox is a serious health problem that kills some of the world’s most vulnerable people, including children, and a form of the disease may be spreading in new ways and in new parts of Africa.
But it is not Covid-19. So far there is no evidence that it spreads through the air as easily as Covid, and there are remedies that have been shown to work to stop the spread and help those at risk.
The challenge now is to ensure that these funds reach those who need them most – in Congo and in neighbouring countries. And this is what the emergency declarations are intended to make clear.
Published 16 August 2024, 03:22 IS
