The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that the mpox outbreak continues to represent a public health emergency of international concern.
The emergency was first declared in August when a new form of mpox began spreading rapidly from the severely affected Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to neighboring countries.
Mpox is a viral infection transmitted through close contact, typically causing flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. While it is usually mild, the disease can be lethal.
This year alone, there have been more than 46,000 suspected cases across Africa, predominantly in the DRC, and over 1,000 suspected deaths.
The designation of a “public health emergency of international concern” is the WHO’s highest level of alert. This label was also applied to a global outbreak of a different form of mpox in 2022-2023.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
