The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an ultra-deadly strain of mpox a global public health emergency.
An outbreak of the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its neighbouring countries has posed ‘international concern’ – the WHO’s highest level of alert.
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The highly contagious disease has killed at least 500 people and infected 13,700 during an initial outbreak this year.
The virus – formally known as monkeypox – has now spread to 12 other countries in Africa, and scientists are concerned about how fast a new variant of the disease is spreading and its high fatality rate.
A previous mpox public health emergency, declared in 2022, was caused by the relatively mild version of the virus.
However, this time a far more deadly variant that is surging.
What is mpox?
Mpox is a viral infectious disease.
This particular virus is a rare zoonosis, which means that it is transmitted to humans from an animal.
It primarily occurs in remote parts of Central and West Africa, near tropical rainforests.
What are the mpox symptoms?
Mpox causes symptoms between five and 21 days after exposure.
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The symptoms of monkeypox start similar to the flu. But then a rash breaks out, starting on the face.
Initial symptoms include:
An itchy and sometimes painful rash slowly appears one to three days into illness, starting with the face, palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
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The inside of the mouth, genitals and lining of the eyes can also be affected by the nasty rash.
If the rash spreads to the eyes it can cause blindness.
While some patients may have only a few lesions, others will have thousands, the WHO says.
Symptoms generally last from 14 to 21 days, with severe cases relating to age, the extent of virus exposure, the patient’s health and the severity of complications.
Doctors and the public have been warned to keep an eye out for unexplained rashes.
Is mpox in the UK?
The current mpox outbreak poses only a “low” risk to Britain, the UK Health Security Agency says.
Britain went through an outbreak in 2022 when more than 3,700 people were infected.
Since then only 286 have been reported in 2023 and 2024.
Most infections appeared to have been sexually transmitted among gay and bisexual men and a targeted NHS vaccine rollout was used to curb its spread.
The NHS says the risk of catching the virus in the UK is low.
How can you catch mpox ?
Infection usually occurs after direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids or skin lesions of an infected animal.
In Africa, human infections have been documented through the handling of infected monkeys, Gambian giant rats and squirrels.
Eating the inadequately cooked meat of an infected animal could trigger infection.
Mpox does not usually spread easily between people.
However, it can be transmitted through close contact, such as sex, skin-to-skin contact and talking or breathing close to another person.
During this new outbreak, there have also been cases of the new bug spreading through touch alone in schools and workplaces.
I mistook monkeypox for Covid – I’ve never been in so much pain
A MAN who caught mpox in 2022 first believed he had Covid before experiencing agonising symptoms that made him fear for his life.
Harun Tulunay, a 37-year-old charity worker, experienced extreme symptoms which left him hospitalised for almost two weeks.
Harun, who lives in London, first started to display flu-like symptoms back in early June 2022, such as high fever, chills and muscle aches.
After having recently caught Covid he was “convinced” he had had the virus again, he told The Sun. “But every test I did came back negative.”
A few days later, the charity worker developed a red and white rash on his body that resembled an allergic reaction, which he said was “nothing like the monkeypox pictures you see online”.
It wasn’t until a few days later that he also noticed a painless spot on his nose which he assumed was a mosquito-like bite or pimple.
Harun works in sexual health so is well versed in monkeypox and its symptoms, but he had never seen his rash or spot associated with the disease and so didn’t think he could have it.
A few days later, Harun’s health took a turn for the worse as his fever reached 40C. “No amount of painkillers would ease the pain,” he said.
It was at this point that Harun developed swollen tonsils and a very sore throat.
“I couldn’t breathe, swallow or speak,” he said.
“I vividly remember calling up the hospital and crying in pain.”
Harun was finally referred to the hospital where he was put into isolation.
His test confirmed he had monkeypox, and only then did lesions often associated with monkeypox begin to appear on his hands, legs, and feet.
“My throat was covered,” he said, explaining that the lesion on his nose was bigger and had become infected.
“I was scared I would die alone in my hospital room,” he said. “I’d never been in so much pain in my life.”
“I remember looking at a water bottle and crying because I couldn’t drink it,” he added.
Harun has now made a full recovery.
Is mpox deadly?
According to WHO, the mpox virus is similar to human smallpox.
Mpos is much milder than smallpox, but it can still be fatal.
There are two main types of mpox – clade 1 and clade 2.
A previous mpox public health emergency, declared in 2022, was caused by the relatively mild clade 2.
However, this time it is the far more deadly clade 1 – which has killed up to 10 per cent of those getting sick in previous outbreaks – that is surging.
There was a change in the virus around September last year.
Mutations led to an offshoot – called Clade 1b – that has since spread rapidly.
This new variant has been labelled “the most dangerous yet” by one scientist.
Is there an mpox vaccine?
Mpox symptoms last between two and four weeks. There is no treatment for it – it gets better on its own.
There are no specific vaccines available for mpox, either.
But outbreaks can be controlled using contact tracing.
A vaccine developed for smallpox – which was declared eradicated in 1980 – is also licensed for mpox.
This jab has been proven to be 85 per cent effective in preventing mpox. However, most people in the UK will not be vaccinated against smallpox given that it is no longer in circulation.
The Government has stocks of the smallpox vaccine which is being offered to very close contacts of those affected. These people also have to isolate for 21 days.
Dr Carlos Maluquer de Motes, Reader in Molecular Virology, University of Surrey, said: “Isolation is one of the most effective measures to contain the spread of a disease, particularly a viral disease, because it limits the number of susceptible individuals that can be exposed to the virus.
“Isolation of confirmed cases and the identification and vaccination of all their close contacts creates a circle of protected people around a positive case that is very effective in breaking chains of transmission.
“This ‘ring vaccination’ strategy was successfully used to eradicate smallpox, so it is a proven strategy to contain poxvirus disease.”
The 13 countries hit by mpox outbreak
Burundi: 225 cases
Cameroon: 35 cases (2 deaths)
Central African Republic: 258 cases
Congo: 169 cases (1 death)
Cote d’Ivoire: 2 cases
Democratic Republic of Congo: 16 789 cases (511 deaths)
Ghana: 4 cases
Liberia: 5 cases
Kenya: 1 case
Nigeria: 24 cases
Rwanda: 2 cases
South Africa: 24 cases (3 deaths)
Uganda: 2 cases
Source: NHS Fit to Travel
