Category: Monkey Pox

Egide Irambona, who thinks he contracted mpox from a friend, may have passed it on to his wife

Egide Irambona, 40, sits bare-chested on his hospital bed, next to the window, in a treatment room that he shares with two other men.

The rays of the evening sun shining above Burundis main city, Bujumbura, filter in. His face, bathed in a soft light, is covered in blisters. His chest too, and his arms.

I had swollen lymph nodes in my throat. It was so painful I couldnt sleep. Then the pain subsided there and it moved to my legs, he tells the BBC.

Mr Irambona has mpox.

He is one of the more than 170 confirmed cases recorded since last month in Burundi. One of the poorest countries in the world, it borders the Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicentre of several recent mpox outbreaks, which have led to at least 450 deaths and 14,000 suspected cases so far this year.

In Burundi, there have been no recorded deaths and it is not yet clear how deadly the current outbreak - of a new strain called Clade 1b - is because there is not enough capacity to carry out testing in the affected areas.

However, it has been declared a global health emergency because of fears it could spread quickly to previously unaffected countries and regions.

This is Mr Irambonas ninth day of treatment at the King Khaled University Hospital. One way that the virus is spread is through close contact with someone infected and it seems that he passed it on to his wife.

She is also being looked after at the same facility.

I had a friend who had blisters. I think I got it from him. I did not know it was mpox. Thankfully our seven children have not shown any signs of having it, Mr Irambona says, his voice trailing off.

This hospital in Bujumbura is home to one of three mpox treatment centres in the city.

Fifty-nine of the 61 available beds are occupied by infected patients a third are under the age of 15 and, according to the World health Organization, children are the worst-affected age group here.

Odette Nsavyimana is the doctor in charge at the hospital and says the number of patients is increasing.

We are now setting up tents outside. There are three so far one for triage, one to hold suspected cases and one to take confirmed cases before they can be transferred to the wards.

"It is tough, especially when the babies come. They cannot stay alone, so I have to keep their mothers here as well. Even if they have no symptoms It is such a tough situation, Dr Nsavyimana says, her voice muffled by her protective face mask.

Burundi is now seeing a surge in mpox cases.

"I am worried about the numbers. If they keep increasing, there is no capacity for us to handle that.

A lot of effort is made to isolate those infected from the rest of the hospitals population. There is red tape everywhere, and visitors, who are required to wear protective equipment, are physically distanced from those infected.

Medical officials are worried about limited resources. There is only one laboratory in the country where blood samples can be tested for the virus, there are insufficient testing kits and no vaccines.

Maintaining hygienic conditions across Bujumbura is also hard as access to basic resources like water is limited in the city. There is a shortage of running water and people can be seen queuing up at public taps.

Dr Liliane Nkengurutse, national director for the Centre for Public Health Emergency Operations, says she is really concerned about the coming days.

This is a real challenge. The fact that diagnosis is only done in one place delays detecting new cases.

Health centres are calling the laboratory saying they have suspected cases, but it takes time for teams from the lab to deploy to where the suspected cases are to take samples.

And it takes much more time to release the test results. We need about $14m (10.7m) to be able to at least take our response to the next level, she says.

Despite talk of vaccines reaching DR Congo as early as next week, there are no reports of a similar move for Burundi.

Public awareness about mpox is limited.

Bujumbura is just 20 minutes from the border with DR Congo and is a hub for cross-border travel and trade. But there is no sense of the possible risks of an outbreak.

The city is abuzz with activity. People are still buying and selling goods as usual. Handshakes, hugs and very close contact are the norm. There are long queues at the bus stations, with people scrambling to get onto already crammed public service vehicles.

Many people do not understand the gravity of this issue. Even where there have been cases, people still just mingle, Dr Nkengurutse says.

The BBC spoke to several people in Bujumbura and the majority did not know what mpox was. And those that did were not aware that it was spreading in their country.

I have heard about this disease, but I have never seen someone who suffers from it. I have only seen it on social media, one person said.

I know it affects babies and young people. I am scared of it, but that does not mean I will just stay at home. I have to work. My family has to eat, said another.

Health workers know that persuading people to take more care may be hard among a sceptical population that is facing a host of economic challenges.

But they will continue to treat patients, make sure they get better and try and trace those that they have been in contact with in efforts to contain the spread of the virus.

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Mpox in Burundi: On the frontline of the fight to halt the spread - BBC.com

Seven probable and confirmed cases of mpox have been reported in Southern Nevada in 2024, according to the Southern Nevada Health District. In total, there have been 317 cases all-time in Clark County, officials said.

Formerly known as monkeypox, the disease is caused by a virus that is in the same family as ones that cause smallpox. Symptoms include a rash that scabs before healing.

To date, only the less severe type of mpox has been reported in the United States. Clade I, which can cause more severe illness and death, is endemic to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and has travelled to neighboring countries. Clade II caused the global mpox outbreak in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control. More than 99.9 percent of people with Clade II survive, the CDC said.

We do want people to be aware, because we do see sporadic cases, Jennifer Sizemore, the chief communications officer for the health district, told the Review-Journal.

She said the organization has seen an increase in discussion about mpox on social media recently, and has been receiving more inquiries about it.

One case of mpox was reported at the Clark County Detention Center during the week of August 19, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. The person is no longer in custody, and police said there were no other reported cases.

Mpox spreads through close or intimate contact, said Dr. Fermin Leguen, District Health Officer for the Southern Nevada Health District, in a press release Wednesday afternoon. The most effective way for those at risk to protect themselves is by receiving two doses of the Mpox vaccine if eligible.

Mpox can be spread from contact between animals and humans, according to the CDC. The CDC recommends avoiding close contact with people with symptoms such as rashes and lesions and avoiding objects touched by people with mpox. If exposed, people should watch for symptoms for 21 days and visit a health care provider.

It typically takes about seven to 14 days after exposure to develop mpox, but the incubation period can be anywhere from five to 21 days, according to the health district. It lasts two to four weeks.

Antiviral medications and vaccines for smallpox can be used to treat and prevent mpox infections, according to the health district.

Receiving two doses of the vaccine has been effective in lowering the risk of contracting the disease as well as reducing the severity of symptoms if it is contracted, the health district said. If administered within 14 days of exposure, it can also lower the risk of contracting mpox. Over 11,740 doses have been administered in Clark County, according to the Health District.

People can visit snhd.info/Mpox for more information on the vaccine.

Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com.

Originally posted here:

7 cases of mpox so far in 2024 in Southern Nevada, health officials say - Las Vegas Review-Journal

A health worker assesses a suspected case of mpox in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Arlette Bashizi/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is driving an ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighbouring countries. Surging cases are partly caused by a new variant that is thought to be more lethal than the version of the virus behind the global mpox outbreak in 2022. But there are treatments that could help.

Studies show that the fatality rate among people who catch the clade I variant of mpox, which is driving the ongoing outbreak, ranges from around 1 to 11 per cent. The variation in reported fatality rates is probably due to differences in the populations that have fallen ill, and to problems with disease surveillance, says Lilith Whittles at Imperial College London.

For example, infants and children, who have less developed immune systems, may be more likely to develop severe and potentially deadly infections compared with adults. And people with suppressed immune systems, such as those with HIV, are also more vulnerable, she says.

Whats more, people in some regions have little access to healthcare, and thus limited mpox surveillance. As a result, only the most severe cases end up being detected in healthcare clinics, while milder cases are missed, making fatality rates seem higher than they really are. More frequent misdiagnoses of mpox symptoms as another disease, such as measles or chickenpox, will also leave more cases undetected, says Whittles.

When people do die of mpox, it is due to complications such as sepsis, where the immune system overreacts to the virus entering the bloodstream and causes organ failure, or lung damage due to inflammation caused by the mpox virus, says Piero Olliaro at the University of Oxford.

In the DRC and nearby countries at the centre of the ongoing outbreak, treatments specifically for mpox are largely unavailable. Instead, doctors focus on treating symptoms, which typically last for two to four weeks. That includes easing fevers and headaches with paracetamol (acetaminophen), or cleaning skin lesions to prevent bacterial infections, says Jean Claude Udahemuka at the University of Rwanda.

Elsewhere, in the UK and US, doctors can use the antiviral drug tecovirimat to treat people with severe forms of mpox. Originally developed to treat smallpox, its use against mpox is based on animal studies in which it improved survival rates compared with a placebo. Tecovirimat works by binding to a protein, found on the surface of both mpox and smallpox, which the viruses use to release themselves from an infected cell and spread to other cells.

Doctors in the US and UK can also treat mpox with other antivirals, such as cidofovir, which has been shown to protect mice from lethal doses of the mpox virus. This medication interferes with an enzyme that the virus uses to replicate its genome.

And another treatment, known as VIGIV, involves injecting antibodies against smallpox collected from people who have received smallpox vaccines into those infected with mpox. This boosts the immune response against viruses.

While animal studies suggest these treatments work against mpox, their effectiveness in people is unknown. Initial results from a recent randomised controlled trial the best kind of medical evidence in the DRC suggest that tecovirimat doesnt speed up healing of painful lesions in children and adults infected with the clade I variant of mpox.

Despite this, researchers found that the mpox mortality rate of participants who received the antiviral was 1.7 per cent, an improvement on the 3.6 per cent mortality rate typically seen in the DRC. However, this could be partially explained by the fact that participants enrolled in the trial were being closely cared for in hospital, says Olliaro.

Ultimately, better treatments and a better grasp of how deadly mpox can be will be essential to protect people, especially those in the DRC, against the ongoing outbreak, says Lucille Blumberg at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. Theres lots of work to do, she says.

We clarified the cause of sepsis.

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How deadly is mpox and what treatments are available? - New Scientist

Overview

WHO needs US$ 87.4 million over 6 months, from September 2024 to February 2025, to work with countries, partners and other stakeholders to stop and contain the current outbreak of mpox.

This money will be used by WHO to implement critical activities outlined in the global strategic preparedness and response plan (SPRP) released the day before, on 26 August 2024. The SPRP is a comprehensive framework developed by WHO to guide the global response to mpox, emphasizingsurveillance, research, equitable access to medical countermeasures, and community empowerment.

The required funds will be used across WHO headquarters, regional and country offices, to enable coordination of the response, provide technical assistance, run operations and deliver medical supplies.

WHO calls on donors to urgently fund the full extent of the mpox response to prevent further spread and protect those most at risk.

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WHO appeal: mpox public health emergency 2024 - World Health Organization (WHO)

In addition to the WHO plan, Germany, France, and Austria said they will provide mpox shots to African countries affected by the outbreak.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday launched a six-month plan to help stop outbreaks of mpox transmission, including increasing workers in affected countries and boosting surveillance, prevention, and response strategies.

The global health agency said it expects the plan from September through February next year will require $135 million (121 million) in funding.

It aims to improve fair access to vaccines, notably in African countries hardest hit by the outbreak.

The mpox outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring countries can be controlled, and can be stopped, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement.

The agency is significantly scaling up staff in affected countries, it said. In mid-August, WHO classified the current mpox outbreak as a global health emergency.

Also on Monday, German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said Germany is donating 100,000 doses of mpox vaccine to affected countries from stocks held by its military, the dpa news agency reported.

Last week, France committed 100,000 vaccine doses and Austrian officials said they would donate vaccines, though the actual tally is still unclear.

Their announcements came after EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides called for European countries to come together to support the African public health response.

Last Tuesday, Congo, the hardest-hit country, reported more than 1,000 new mpox cases over the previous week.

In its latest update on the outbreak, the African Centres for Disease Control reported that as of Thursday, more than 21,300 suspected or confirmed cases and 590 deaths have been reported this year in 12 African countries.

Mpox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox but typically causes milder symptoms like fever, chills and body aches.

It mostly spreads through close skin-to-skin contact, including sexual intercourse. People with more serious cases can develop lesions on the face, hands, chest and genitals.

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WHO launches plan to halt Africa's mpox outbreak, with funding need of $135 million - Euronews

As mpox (formerly monkeypox) has been declared a global public health emergency, some are wondering whether the virus poses the risk of a COVID-like pandemic.

The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the mpox outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern" on Aug. 14, based on a surge of cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and multiple African countries.

As of Aug. 17, there were 545 reports of mpox cases since the outbreak was declared, 474 of which were confirmed, according to data from WHO.

WITH MPOX A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY IN AFRICA, WHAT YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT INCREASED VIRUS RISK

Symptoms include a sometimes painful rash on various parts of the body, fever, chills, exhaustion, muscle aches, headache, swollen lymph nodes and respiratory symptoms, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

There are two types of mpox: Clade 1 and Clade 2.

The World Health Organization officially declared the mpox outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern" on Aug. 14. (iStock)

Clade 2 was the strain that caused the 2022 global outbreak, the CDC noted. Survival rates for this type are more than 99.9%.

Clade 1, which is responsible for the current outbreak in the DRC and Africa, causes more severe illness and deaths.

MONKEYPOX: WHAT YOU MUST KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS AND HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

"Some outbreaks have killed up to 10% of the people who get sick, although more recent outbreaks have had lower death rates," the CDC noted.

"The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighboring countries are very worrying," said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus when announcing the public health emergency.

"People are not going to catch mpox by being on the same bus or running into someone at the grocery store."

"On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, its clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives."

While health officials have expressed concern about the spread of a new strain of the potentially deadly virus, the consensus is that mpox is not likely to become a pandemic like COVID primarily because it doesn't spread in the same way.

"Certainly not," said Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, chief of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, during a conversation with Fox News Digital.

ANTHONY FAUCIS WEST NILE VIRUS DIAGNOSIS: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASE

"What made COVID so contagious is that it is a respiratory virus spread by aerosols, so that even casual contact being in the same room with someone for a reasonable period of time meant you could catch [the virus]" from that person.

Another difference is that COVID is contagious starting from a day or so before someone develops symptoms, Kuritzkes pointed out.

Symptoms of mpox include a sometimes painful rash on various parts of the body, fever, chills, exhaustion, muscle aches, headache, swollen lymph nodes and respiratory symptoms. (iStock)

"By contrast, mpox requires close contact (skin-to-skin) for transmission in the vast majority of cases," he said.

"Rarely, heavily contaminated material such as bedding can be infectious, but people are not going to catch mpox by being on the same bus or running into someone at the grocery store."

NORTHEASTERN TOWNS ISSUE VOLUNTARY LOCKDOWN TO PREVENT SPREAD OF MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASE

While mpox is far less contagious than COVID, it could potentially cause a "widely distributed epidemic" through sexual contact, according to Kuritzkes.

"HIV is now pandemic (found in all countries across the globe), but as high as the numbers are, it is not transmitted by casual contact," he said. "The same is true of mpox."

To prevent transmission of mpox, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccination for men who are gay, bisexual or have sex with men, are age 18 or older, and have other specific risks. (PASCAL GUYOT/AFP via Getty Images)

Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, echoed that mpox is "not the new COVID."

"It spreads via direct contact or sex, and kissing, and very close respiratory droplets, but not over longer distances by respiratory spread," he told Fox News Digital.

'ZIKA-LIKE' MOSQUITO-BORNE VIRUS HAS SPREAD INTO EUROPE, HEALTH OFFICIALS WARN

"Clade 1 is currently in DRC and neighboring African countries," Siegel said.

"The U.S. has increased surveillance, including wastewater analysis, but there have been no cases [of Clade 1] found here yet."

This undated image provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases shows a colorized transmission electron micrograph of mpox particles (red) found within an infected cell (blue), cultured in a laboratory at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility in Fort Detrick, Maryland. (NIAID via AP, File)

Dr. Brad Perkins, chief medical officer at Karius, a California life sciences company focused on saving lives from infectious diseases, reiterated that mpox is "considerably less infectious" for person-to-person spread than COVID-19.

"Mpox is primarily spread from person-to-person, usually through direct contact, including intimate contact but on average, there are fewer people who become infected as a result of contact with a mpox case compared to COVID-19," he told Fox News Digital.

"While mpox can affect anyone, data has shown that men who have sex with men are disproportionately impacted, with a notable disease burden among Black and Hispanic men," Perkins noted.

"This highlights the importance of early recognition and diagnosis, in addition to awareness and targeted vaccination of those who are at highest risk."

"While mpox can affect anyone, data has shown that men who have sex with men are disproportionately impacted."

As with other viral infections, those who are immunocompromised or very young are at the greatest risk of severe infection, according to Kuritzkes.

"For mpox, the main concern is for people with HIV who are not currently receiving effective antiretroviral therapy," he added.

Patients wait outside the consultation room of an mpox treatment center in the Democratic Republic of Congo, on Aug. 16, 2024. Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said in a video message that the country "has recorded 15,664 potential cases and 548 deaths since the beginning of the year," with all 26 provinces affected. (Getty Images)

Even after the infection has cleared, survivors can face long-term effects and complications, Perkins warned.

"Conditions like vision impairment, encephalitis and scarring have been reported," he told Fox News Digital.

"We need deeper research into characterizing and addressing these long-term sequelae."

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To prevent transmission of mpox, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends vaccination for men who are gay, bisexual or have sex with men, are age 18 or older, and have other specific risks.

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Those risks include new diagnoses of sexually transmitted diseases and a recent history of multiple sex partners, among others.

"Second, and most obviously, would be to avoid close contact with people who have mpox lesions," said Kuritzkes.

Doctors take samples from a patient at an mpox treatment center in the Democratic Republic of Congo, on Aug. 16, 2024. (Getty Images)

"The big issue is getting the vaccine to the people who need it in Central and West Africa to end the current outbreak."

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has sent 50,000 doses of the JYNNEOS mpox vaccine to DRC, Siegel noted "but there is still a worldwide shortage of this vaccine, which will prove crucial to stop the spread, especially if the outbreak widens."

For more Health articles, visit http://www.foxnews.com/health

In addition to the current vaccines and antiviral treatments that are available, Perkins stressed the need for new innovations in mpox diagnostics, therapeutics and preventive measures.

Melissa Rudy is senior health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to melissa.rudy@fox.com.

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Is mpox the next COVID? Infectious disease experts address pandemic potential - Fox News

STATs coverage of chronic health issues is supported by a grant fromBloomberg Philanthropies. Our financial supportersare not involved in any decisions about our journalism.

Good morning! If you noticed that the upside down smiley face in yesterdays newsletter item on the DNC looked absolutely massive compared to the text no you didnt.

Over the last few decades, continuous glucose monitors which measure blood glucose using a sensor in the top layer of skin have changed the entire field of diabetes care. But now, the devices are about to become dramatically more accessible, as two companies prepare to sell them over the counter without a prescription.

Who might be interested? If you ask the companies, the devices could be used by nearly 100 million Americans with prediabetes, people with type 2 diabetes who dont use insulin, or even healthy people who just want to keep an eye on their blood sugar. One endocrinologist told STATs Katie Palmer and Lizzy Lawrence that she expects the worried well will be first to start using the new devices.

But could CGMs be misused, or even cause harm? Theres more questions and buts than there is excitement, said researcher Susan Schembre. Read more.

In early 2022, physician Wilfredo Matias took care of one of the first patients with mpox in Massachusetts. I remember the deep uncertainty I felt, and the fear in my patients eyes as a painful rash spread over their body, he writes in a First Opinion essay. They were deep in uncharted territory then, with no proven treatments for the disease.

Two years later, theres a rapidly expanding outbreak of the disease in Central Africa that has led the WHO to declare a public health emergency of international concern. And while we have mpox vaccines now, production scale-up has been disappointing, Matias argues. To address the crisis, he says, the U.S. should commit to sharing at least half of its mpox vaccine stockpile with affected African nations within six months.

Enhancing global vaccine equity is not just a moral imperative but a strategic investment in our long-term health security, Matias writes. Read more.

Over the past few years, theres been a major increase in both state bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth as well as local, school-based restrictions on trans youth participating in sports or using the bathroom that aligns with their gender. Previous research has shown the danger these policies pose for trans youth, but three new studies reaffirm the association between the bans and negative mental health for trans adolescents and adults.

One study in JAMA Network Open, found that out of almost 800 transgender participants ages 18 and older, more than 86% screened positive for symptoms of depression and anxiety. Those who were concerned about their rights being taken away had even higher odds of both.

For young people, the environment at school can play a major role in their mental health. The Trevor Project surveyed 18,000 LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-24 and found that nearly a third of those who were enrolled in school were at an institution with at least one anti-LGTBQ+ policy. Among those at schools with a high number of these policies, 55% reported seriously considering suicide in the past year, compared to 43% of those with fewer and 35% of those at schools with no such policies.

A JAMA Pediatrics study analyzed data from more than 92,000 high school students in Wisconsin. The authors found that trans students report higher risk of anxiety, depression, and considering, planning, or attempting suicide compared to cisgender students. They also report a higher risk of being bullied and of skipping school because they feel unsafe. Schools serve as sites for both victimization and support for transgender youth, the authors wrote.

Throughout the summer, weve been reminding you about the danger that extreme heat can pose to your health. A study published yesterday in JAMA aimed to quantify the burden posed by high temperatures. The researchers found that, between 1999 and 2023 in the U.S., more than 21,500 deaths were recorded with heat as an underlying or contributing cause of death. The annual number of heat-related deaths increased 117% between the years 1999 and 2023.

These could be underestimates, if deaths were misclassified. The perceived increase could also be affected by an increase in awareness about climate change. Regardless, the study authors expect the number of deaths to continue climbing as global temperatures rise.

And while this summer is almost over, heat isnt the only weather-related risk to our health. Major disaster events like extreme heat, fires, tornadoes, wind, hurricanes, and storms, but major because they result in at least 50 injuries or 10 deaths account for a disproportionately high number of injuries and deaths. Thats according to another study from yesterday, published in JAMA Network Open, which analyzed data from all storm events between 2006 and 2021. Most major disasters occur in urban areas, but those in rural areas cause about twice as many deaths per event (nine in rural vs. four in urban). Extreme heat and tornadoes constituted almost three-quarters of these major disasters. The data raise concerns about how prepared the U.S. health care system is to respond to major disasters, especially in already under-served rural areas, the authors wrote.

Only about 5% of adults in the U.S. participate in clinical trials. And its not a mystery why the costs of transportation, childcare, meals, the time investment and lost wages are all known barriers to participation. We also already know that financial support from trial sponsors is a good way to address these expenses. So whats the problem? The confusion lies in the current legal landscape, and the uncertainty around liabilities for both sponsors and participants, according to a First Opinion essay. Read more about the potential roadblocks and how Congress might be able to address them.

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Glucose monitors, mpox vaccine inequity and effects of LGBTQ+ restrictions - STAT

The mpox outbreak is a very different situation from the COVID pandemic, experts say but we cannot be "complacent".

While the outbreak of mpox in multiple African countries is concerning, the situation differs from what the world went through just four years ago with COVID-19, experts tell Euronews Health.

There is, however, an urgency to respond to mpox, particularly as cases of a likely more transmissible new offshoot continue to spread, especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and are likely to be imported to other countries.

One case of that new variant, clade 1b, has been confirmed in Sweden, and another case has been confirmed in Thailand this week, both in individuals who had travelled to countries struggling with outbreaks.

Meanwhile, European health authorities raised the risk level for the region last week, days after the World Health Organization (WHO) named mpox a global health emergency.

Euronews Health spoke to experts about whether Europeans should be concerned and some of their key messages on the possibility of eliminating the virus.

Mpox is an infectious illness caused by the monkeypox virus that most often causes a skin rash or lesions among other symptoms, such as fever or muscle aches.

The virus was previously declared a global health emergency in 2022, but experts say it is very different from the worlds last health crisis, COVID-19.

"People shouldnt be alarmed in Europe about having a COVID-like situation suddenly happen again because of mpox," Dr Marc-Alain Widdowson, WHO Europes lead on high threat pathogens, told Euronews Health.

COVID-19, for instance, is a respiratory virus while mpox is "quite difficult to catch," he added.

"You need a degree of prolonged contact to be able to get it or intense contact, such as sex [which has] been the predominant mode of transmission in Europe," he said.

A less severe variant of mpox known as clade II continues to spread in European countries, with WHO Europe estimating there are roughly 100 new cases a month in the region.

One concern, however, is that the mpox virus has evolved with clade 1b - the new strain of the historically more severe clade 1 virus - spreading to several African countries that didnt previously have cases.

Experts have said it is likely more transmissible but that more information is needed about it.

"We already haven't eliminated clade II [in Europe], the last thing we want is to have an introduction of clade I," Widdowson said.

"The concern is [clade] 1b, the new variant, is showing much greater human-to-human transmission," Dr Shema Tariq, a principal research fellow at University College London, told Euronews Health.

But while COVID-19 was more easily spread through a population as an airborne pathogen, mpox requires "human-to-human contact, so it is harder to transmit," Tariq said.

Widdowson added that mpox is a virus that European countries have been dealing with for the last two years, so they know how to contain it.

"But having said that, we can't be complacent and we need to make sure that we investigate and shut down any importations into the region," he said.

Experts say there was a missed opportunity in Europe during the last health emergency to not fully eliminate mpox, but that the new global focus on this virus could help to reinvigorate those efforts.

"I think we have an opportunity now to look carefully at our response, to think about vaccinating the people who are at greatest risk of acquiring clade II, to be really looking out for cases, testing and making sure we have adequate diagnostics to know whether we're dealing with clade II or clade I virus," Tariq told Euronews Health.

Widdowson, meanwhile, recommends that European governments broaden surveillance and report data "quickly and transparently".

This includes isolating patients, tracing their contacts, and researching what the virus is doing.

In Europe, clade II was spreading most often between men who have sex with men, but the new clade may affect different demographics.

WHO does not, however, recommend border closures or traveller restrictions, which Widdowson said can contribute to stigma.

For Tariq, the outbreaks unfolding at the moment provide "very important lessons" about global vaccine equity.

Theres been criticism of developed countries for failing to share vaccines equitably, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sharing pathogen information in exchange for access to vaccines and treatments in developing countries is one of the key issues that has been holding up negotiations on a global pandemic treaty.

For mpox, the European Commission announced plans with pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic to supply more than 215,000 doses of the MVA-BN mpox vaccine to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

French prime minister Gabriel Attal has said that 232 vaccination sites were open in the country and that the government would also donate 100,000 vaccine doses through the European Union to the most impacted countries.

But there should be an automatic mechanism for providing vaccines, according to Widdowson.

"We cannot hope to get rid of the threat in Europe if [there are] continuing outbreaks and continuing high numbers in the DRC," he said.

The mpox emergency also highlights that "infections dont have borders," according to Tariq at UCL.

"We live in a joined-up interconnected world. We cannot be complacent and contain infections where they are originating," she said.

"We have to support colleagues in the most highly affected regions to be able to manage this outbreak, not just for their populations, but also for our populations as well," she added.

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Why mpox is 'concerning' but not the next COVID, according to experts - Euronews

On August 14, following the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Preventions (Africa CDC) declaration of mpox as a public health emergency of continental security, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized it as a public health emergency of international concern.

Mpox, a highly contagious disease transmitted primarily through close contact with infected individuals, has seen a significant rise in cases this year, with more than 17,000 reported cases and more than 500 deaths, predominantly in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Symptoms include a blistering rash, swollen lymph nodes, fever, and muscle aches. Experts told Human Rights Watch the current variant of the virus seems to differ from previous outbreaks, with increased transmission occurring heterosexually and spreading to children through close interactions within families.

The Africa CDC has emphasized the need for global solidarity in combating this outbreak. Dr. Jean Kaseya, the Africa CDCs director-general, has called on the international community to avoid punitive measures such as travel bans against African countries. There is a critical need for support, particularly access to vaccines, from countries with substantial stockpiles that are not experiencing any active outbreaks. Dont punish Africa, Kaseya urged, pointing to the unfair treatment the continent endured during the Covid-19 pandemic and stressing the importance of a fair and equitable global response.

Global health experts have warned that the African continent is always last in line for access to lifesaving tools. The continents delayed access to HIV/AIDS treatments, Ebola response resources, Covid-19 vaccines, and now mpox interventions, underscores the persistent inequities in global health access. The response to the 2022 mpox outbreak, which primarily affected men who have sex with men, highlighted the risks of stigmatizing gay men. Human Rights Watch has previously warned that some actors exploit public health crises to marginalize vulnerable groups and stressed the need to place human rights at the center of any response.

As the current mpox outbreak continues, it is essential that human rights principles are applied to this public health challenge. Ensuring all people, regardless of geographic location or socioeconomic status, have access to necessary healthcare resources is not only a legal and moral imperative, but a critical component in controlling the spread of this and future infectious diseases.

Original post:

A Rights-Based Global Response to Mpox Emergency in Africa - Human Rights Watch

Mpox is spreading. A new strain of this viral diseasewhich is easier to transmit than older ones and appears to be more deadlyhas gripped the Democratic Republic of Congo throughout the year. Now it has reached other parts of central and eastern Africa, and is starting to appear elsewhere. It is likely to go far, carried by international travellers. According to Airfinity, a health-data firm, Dubai and London are at greatest risk of importing the new strain, known as clade 1b.

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Countries should act faster to curb the spread of mpox - The Economist