Deadlier and more transmissible than previous forms, the mpox strain surging in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since September, known as the Clade Ib subclade, is spread person-to-person. The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday it was considering convening an expert committee to advise on whether to declare an international emergency, as it did during the global mpox outbreak in 2022. ‘Raging’Authorities in the four countries have confirmed mpox cases -- Burundi in particular has reported 127 cases -- without specifying the strain. Lewis, from the WHO, said it was the first time that the four countries lying to the east of DRC had reported mpox cases. In West Africa, Ivory Coast recently reported six confirmed non-fatal cases, five of which were in the economic capital Abidjan, without specifying the strain.

Source: The Hindu August 07, 2024 23:44 UTC