The World Health Organisation (WHO) on August 14, 2024, declared the mpox outbreak as a “global health emergency”

The mpox or monkeypox outbreak has affected over 115 countries, and is the worst in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring countries.

The outbreak first started in 2022. The WHO decided to change the name of monkeypox to mpox in November of that year following racist insinuations towards some communities

According to data collected from national authorities, 99,176 cases of mpox were confirmed between January 1, 2022 and June 30, 2024, and 208 people died.

What is this virus?

The monkeypox virus is an orthopoxvirus, which is a genus of viruses that also includes the variola virus, which causes smallpox.

Monkeypox is a zoonosis, a disease that is transmitted from infected animals to humans.

According to the WHO, cases occur close to tropical rainforests inhabited by animals that carry the virus. Monkeypox virus infection has been detected in squirrels, Gambian poached rats, dormice, and some species of monkeys.

Human-to-human transmission of the virus is, however, limited. It can be through contact with bodily fluids, lesions on the skin, the respiratory tract or through the eyes, nose or mouth or by virus-contaminated objects, such as bedding and clothing.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC, the infection was first discovered in 1958. Two outbreaks of a pox-like disease were recorded in colonies of monkeys kept for research — which led to the name ‘monkeypox’.

New Delhi:

The government on Saturday said they are closely monitoring the global monkeypox situation, and preparedness and cautionary measures are being put in place to prevent and control the spread of the disease.

There are no new reported cases of monkeypox in India as of date, said the Health Ministry.

In the meeting with senior ministry officials, chaired by Health Minister JP Nadda, it was decided that as a matter of abundant caution, certain measures are put in place.

These are sensitising the health units at all the airports, seaports and ground crossings, readying the testing laboratories and gearing up health facilities for detecting, isolating and managing any case.

The meeting was called in view of the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring Monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC).

In the meeting, it was noted that Monkeypox infections are usually self-limiting lasting between 2-4 weeks and patients generally recover with supportive management.

The transmission requires prolonged close contact with an infected case and is generally through the sexual route, direct contact with body/lesion fluid, or contaminated clothing/linen of an infected person.

Globally, since 2022, WHO has reported 99,176 cases and 208 deaths due to monkeypox from 116 countries.

Since the 2022 declaration by WHO, a total of 30 cases were detected in India with the last case in March 2024.

The Centre said that a joint monitoring group meeting, under the chairmanship of the Director General of Health Services consisting of experts from relevant fields, was held to review the situation.

Although the possibility of a few imported cases being detected in the coming weeks is not entirely ruled out, it was assessed that the risk of a large outbreak with sustained transmission is presently low for India.

After reports of Mpox cases in Sweden and Pakistan surfaced, infectious disease experts urged health authorities to begin screening for the deadly infectious disease at key airports in India to help curb the spread.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

DR Congo:

An mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 548 people since the start of the year, with all provinces affected by the virus, the health minister said on Thursday in a statement.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared the mpox surge in Africa a global public health emergency, worried by the rise in cases in DRC and the spread to nearby countries.

“According to the latest epidemiological report, our country has recorded 15,664 potential cases and 548 deaths since the beginning of the year,” Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba said in a separate video message seen by AFP on Thursday.

The DRC is made up of 26 provinces and has a population of around 100 million.

The most affected provinces are South Kivu, North Kivu, Tshopo, Equateur, North Ubangi, Tshuapa, Mongala and Sankuru, Kamba said.

The UN health agency’s decision came the day after the African Union’s health watchdog declared its own public health emergency over the growing outbreak.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)