A worrying statement has been given by the African CDC, which has been working hard to tackle this year’s monkeypox infection, in which the majority of deaths have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicentre of the outbreak.
The African Union’s health watchdog on Thursday warned that mpox outbreak was still not under control and appealed for resources to avoid a “more severe” pandemic than COVID.
Just as this statement comes from the African CDC, the super spreader variant of the monkeypox or mpox virus has been detected in the UK, triggering an alarming situation. The clade 1b virus strain has been found in the UK. This vrisu was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in August. Mpox has killed more than 1,000 in Africa this year.

The UK case, in a patient who had recently travelled to affected countries in Africa, was detected in London and the individual has been transferred to a specialist hospital, the UKHSA said.
There have been cases of mpox clade Ib reported in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Sweden, India and Germany, as well as Congo.

How mpox spreads

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, primarily spreads through close, direct contact with an infected person. This includes skin-to-skin contact with rashes, lesions, or bodily fluids of someone with mpox. It can also spread through respiratory droplets during prolonged face-to-face interaction, such as talking or coughing, though this is less common.

Another transmission route is through contaminated objects like clothing, bedding, or towels used by an infected person. Animal-to-human transmission can also occur if a person is bitten by or handles an infected animal. Practicing good hygiene and avoiding close contact with infected individuals can help prevent the spread of mpox.

Can winter trigger mpox epidemic?

While winter itself may not directly trigger a mpox epidemic, the season could increase risks of spread. Colder weather drives people indoors, often into crowded or poorly ventilated spaces where viruses can transmit more easily through close contact.
Lower humidity and weakened immunity in winter months can also contribute to respiratory virus spread, although mpox primarily spreads through direct skin-to-skin contact. Increased respiratory transmission risks could occur if people have prolonged, close indoor interactions.

Signs of mpox

Mpox symptoms start with fever, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue. Several days later, the rash is more characteristic, initially on the face and eventually spreading to other parts of the body, including hands, feet, and genitals. The rash goes through various stages: it starts off as flat spots, becomes raised bumps, fluid-filled blisters, and then scabs that fall off. Swollen lymph nodes, especially in the neck and armpits, are another key symptom that distinguishes mpox from other similar diseases. Symptoms usually last two to four weeks and can either be mild or severe.
(Inputs from agencies)

Johannesburg — After the world was caught largely unprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists warned that lessons must be learned. Now, two more viral outbreaks are giving health officials sleepless nights.

Rwanda is still grappling with its first outbreak of Marburg virus. A cousin to the Ebola virus, Marburg is one of the deadliest viruses known to science, with a fatality rate of about 88%. According to Rwandan Health Minister Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, there have been 62 cases of Marburg confirmed in Rwanda, with 38 recoveries and 15 deaths.

“Nine people remain in treatment, with most of them improving,” Nsanzimana said during a virtual media briefing on Thursday.

The outbreak was declared on Sept. 27, after health officials realized the treatment they were administering to people with suspected malaria cases wasn’t working. By then, some health officials had been infected, Nsanzimana said.

Nsanzimana said Thursday that Rwanda’s Marburg response had improved. 

“We are seeing a positive trend. This is the 3rd week new infections have reduced by more than 50% compared to the first two weeks, and in consecutive days this week we have had no new detections,” he said, adding: “In the past seven days, people recovering from treatment centers are now outnumbering people who die from the virus.” 

There are currently no licensed vaccines or treatments for Marburg, but several vaccines are in early-stage clinical trials. The Washington D.C.-based, non-profit Sabin Vaccine Institute has delivered 1,800 doses of its single-dose clinical trial vaccine to Rwanda.  

To date, 856 people in high-risk groups, including close contacts of known cases and health care workers, have been given one of those doses.

U.S. enhanced screening measures take effect

Under new measures announced last week, all travelers due to arrive in the U.S. from Oct. 15 onward, within 21 days of being in Rwanda, must ensure they fly directly into New York’s John F. Kennedy, Chicago O’Hare or Washington-Dulles International airports for immediate enhanced health screening.

“The risk of Marburg in the U.S. remains low, however, these measures are being taken out of an abundance of caution given the ongoing outbreak in Rwanda,” CDC spokesperson David Daigle said as the measures were announced on Oct. 7.

Passengers with recent travel history to Rwanda will have their temperatures checked upon arrival at one of the three designated U.S. airports and should expect to answer questions about symptoms and potential exposure to the virus in areas set aside for the screenings. 

The CDC said passengers who clear the checks but then experience fever, chills, headaches or other symptoms commonly associated with the disease should immediately isolate themselves from others and seek medical attention, ideally advising the health care facility in advance of their circumstances.

The Rwandan Health Minister said teams were working to trace the routes of infection in the country and that health workers had implemented “testing for all travelers both at Kigali International Airport and all land borders to make sure we protect everyone in Rwanda and beyond, as this virus has to be contained quickly to avoid going out of control.”

Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever is spread through contact with body fluids — saliva, semen, urine and sweat. The fact that it requires that close proximity to spread does make it easier to contain once detected. The virus is not airborne. Initially, it presents like many other viruses, with common symptoms including headache and fever. If untreated, that can turn into nausea, diarrhea and bleeding from their gums, nose and other orifices.

The Marburg and Ebola viruses are typically found in fruit bats. They can be passed on to humans by a bite, or by people eating infected bats.

Nsanzimana said once Rwanda had cleared its current cases and seen no deaths for several days, it would be able to take a step back and help with research to avoid future outbreaks. 

“We won’t drop our weapons as this is an alert,” he said. “What happened with Marburg in Rwanda, can happen anytime to anywhere in the world.”

Why deadly outbreaks are becoming more common

CBS News traveled with researchers in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo just before the COVID outbreak, and the scientists said deforestation and climate change were increasing the amount of human-to-animal contact, which was in turn increasing the number of deadly virus outbreaks in human populations.  

Marburg and Ebola used to pop up rarely, with outbreaks occurring about once per decade. Last year alone, Equatorial Guinea and Tanzania both dealt with Marburg outbreaks, as well as Ghana in 2022.

A Marburg outbreak can be declared over if there are no new cases reported for a period of at least 21 days — the incubation period of the virus, according to Africa CDC Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya.

In addition to the vaccines undergoing trials, Rwandan doctors have also been testing the antiviral drug Remdesivir, to see if it works as a treatment for Marburg. 

Mpox continues spreading in Africa

While Marburg is certainly the most concerning virus facing African health officials at the moment, another disease has continued spreading quietly on the continent.

Over the past week, both Zambia and Zimbabwe reported their first cases of the mpox virus, previously known as monkeypox. 

The World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency in August for the second time in two years.

Health officials in the 17 countries where cases had already been confirmed are increasingly concerned about a new variant called Clade 1b, which is believed to spread more easily through close personal contact than previous strains.

“Mpox is going out of control,” Kaseya of the Africa CDC warned Thursday. “If we don’t act, a lot more than the current 1,100 people who have died, will be dead.”

So far, more than 900 African people, mainly children, have died of mpox this year, with the Democratic Republic of Congo being the current epicenter of the outbreak. Mpox has plagued Congo and its neighboring countries for several decades, but Kaseye said the overall caseload was up 380% compared to 2023, “which is huge.”

Scientists say the precipitous rise in cases is due largely to the new variant. That strain has not yet appeared in the U.S., but experts say it’s likely just a matter of time.

Kaseya said the Africa CDC needed roughly 10 million doses and $600 million to contain the outbreak, but African officials say a surge in the price of mpox vaccine and hoarding by rich, developed nations has delayed the response and allowed the virus to spread.  

“We are still talking about pledges made [by the international community], and we hope to finalize pledges into concrete money, tools and vaccines for our countries,” Kaseya said during the briefing with Nsanzimana and other officials.

Health officials in Congo also delayed asking for help as the vaccine had not undergone African trials or been endorsed, at the time, by the WHO. 

Kaseya said there were 42,238 reported mpox cases across the continent, 8,113 of which had been confirmed. Over the last week alone, 50 deaths and 3,051 new cases were reported.

Mpox is related to smallpox, and long-approved smallpox vaccines could have provided some protection to children, had their administration not been halted after the WHO deemed the disease to no longer pose a public health threat in the late 1970s. 

DR Congo and other countries stopped administering the vaccines early in the following decade. Scientists believe the lack of built up immunity is one of the main reasons the current outbreak is hitting children so hard, with the most cases and the highest numbers of deaths.

With Zambia and Zimbabwe reporting their first cases in recent days, 18 countries now have mpox outbreaks. 

Uganda reported two new cases, meanwhile, in a prison where staff initially thought inmates had chicken pox, until tests confirmed it was mpox. That has made all 1,874 inmates at the facility possible close contacts.

“Prisons, and IDP [internally displaced people] camps in eastern DRC, present a major challenge”, said Kaseya, warning that “countries need a vaccination plan immediately.”

DR Congo and Rwanda have already begun administering vaccines, and Nigeria plans to start on October 22.

“We don’t want to see all African countries being affected,” said Kaseya, calling on the world to “intensify its efforts.”

A 44-year-old man, hailing from the Gujarat district in Punjab, has tested positive for monkeypox virus or mpox after arriving in Pakistan from a gulf state marking the seventh mpox case in the country this year and the sixth since the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an emergency last month.

After being suspected of carrying the virus, the patient, who landed at Islamabad Airport on September 14 (Saturday), was taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims).

The health officials confirmed that samples sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) tested positive for mpox. The patient is reported to be in stable condition.

“This is the seventh confirmed case of mpox in Pakistan this year,” said a health official in the federal health ministry.

“Five previous cases were confirmed at the Khyber Medical University laboratory in Peshawar, while this latest patient is being treated in Islamabad,” the official said.

Mpox is a virus that causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions and, while usually mild, it can kill. Children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are all at higher risk of complications.

Earlier on Wednesday, one more mpox case was reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), taking the total tally of the virus to six in Pakistan, provincial Health Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah said

Moreover on Sunday, at least three passengers travelling to Karachi were suspected of monkeypox in a single day at the Jinnah International Airport, Geo News reported citing sources.

All three passengers returned to Pakistan from Middle Eastern countries, the sources added.

Following global health concerns, WHO has approved MVA-BN as the first pre-qualified vaccine against monkeypox virus, according to The News on Saturday.

“This first pre-qualification of a vaccine against mpox is an important step in our fight against the disease, both in the context of the current outbreaks in Africa and in future,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The development comes as the United Nations’ health centric-body had declared the mpox outbreak as an “international health emergency” in July.

The spike in mpox cases in Peshawar has triggered concerns among health experts and the public alike, with calls for increased awareness and stricter travel guidelines.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, particularly in light of the WHO’s recent emergency declaration regarding the virus, he added and lauded Border Health Services (BHS) to finally detect an mpox case other than Peshawar.

For the second time since 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday raised the highest alert by declaring Mpox a global health emergency as 14,000 cases have been reported with 524 deaths in Africa with the potential to reach other continents.

What is Mpox?

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, which is part of the same family as smallpox.

Originally identified in monkeys, the disease can infect various animals and humans.

Although historically rare, recent outbreaks have demonstrated its potential for widespread transmission.

While generally less severe than smallpox, MPOX can still pose significant health risks, particularly to vulnerable populations.

Global surge in cases

Between January and July 2024, approximately 14,500 MPOX cases and over 450 related deaths were reported, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

This marks a 160% increase in infections and a 19% increase in mortality compared to the same period in 2023.

While the Democratic Republic of the Congo accounts for 96% of these cases, the disease has also spread to other nearby nations, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, where it is not typically endemic.

How does Mpox spread?

Mpox is primarily transmitted through close contact with an infected person or animal.

Transmission can occur through direct contact with skin lesions or bodily fluids, respiratory droplets from close or prolonged exposure, and contaminated objects such as bedding or clothing.

Recognising symptoms

The symptoms of Mpox can initially mimic other viral infections but typically progress through distinct stages.

Early signs include fever, headache, muscle aches, and swelling of the lymph nodes.

As the infection advances, a rash develops, starting on the face and spreading to other parts of the body.

This rash evolves into raised, fluid-filled blisters that eventually scab over.

The disease can also cause fatigue, backache, and sometimes gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea or vomiting.

Global Health Response

As MPOX remains a concern for global health officials, understanding its transmission and symptoms is crucial for managing and preventing its spread.

Public health measures, including awareness and early detection, are key to controlling outbreaks.

Those who suspect infection or exposure to MPOX are urged to seek medical advice and follow recommended preventive measures.

Health authorities and the WHO continue to work towards navigating this ongoing health challenge.