The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted increasing challenges posed by mpox virus (MPXV) outbreaks, especially in Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to its latest situation report released on Thursday.
Africa's Struggle
Africa remains the epicenter of mpox infections, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Burundi, and Uganda bearing the highest number of cases. Between December 23, 2024, and February 2, 2025, Uganda reported the second-highest number of confirmed cases on the continent, signaling a concerning upward trend.
The report indicates that clade Ib MPXV, first identified in September 2023, has spread to eight provinces in the DRC and is now responsible for community transmission in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia. This widespread distribution underscores the virus's increasing reach within the region.
Global Spread and the UAE
Beyond Africa, the mpox virus has made its way to other parts of the world. New travel-related cases linked to clade Ib MPXV have been reported in countries such as Thailand and the United Kingdom, which had previously documented cases. Notably, the UAE confirmed its first mpox case caused by clade Ib MPXV on February 7, 2025. This case involved an adult with recent travel history to Uganda, with symptoms appearing on January 11, 2025, and confirmation on January 18, 2025. The patient is currently under hospital isolation.
Additionally, at least seven other cases in different countries have been traced back to travel from the UAE, suggesting the potential for community transmission within the country. In the United States, the New York State Department of Health reported its first case of the new mpox strain on Tuesday, marking the fourth known case in the U.S. Previous cases have been identified in California, Georgia, and New Hampshire. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that the New York patient had recently traveled from East Africa.
The WHO continues to monitor the situation closely, emphasizing the need for heightened surveillance and response efforts to contain the spread of mpox both within affected regions and globally.
Reference(s):
Mpox outbreaks continue to challenge the world, says WHO report
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