After the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an emergency over the spread of Mpox in Africa and after the first case was confirmed in Sweden, Dr. Roy Zucker, expert in infectious diseases and director of the field of LGBT medicine, weighs in on the risks and what can be done to protect against it.
Why was a state of emergency declared?
A panel of experts concluded that the outbreak of Mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern and required a coordinated international response. The declaration enables the WHO to announce recommendations for immediate action and allocate funds needed to contain the spread. WHO said it has released $1.45 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies and may need to release more in the coming days.
What is the current situation in Africa?
There is an outbreak in the DRC that was first reported last year and has been significantly accelerated. It has a number of clinical and epidemiological characteristics:
• There is widespread illness, more than ever before. Since the start of 2023 there have been more than 22,000 reported cases and over 1,200 deaths. The health minister there said on Thursday that since the start of 2024, 15,664 cases have been reported and 548 deaths.
• The illness has spread to all provinces including new geographical areas, and the death rate from the virus is 5%.
• For the first time a community spread was detected attributed to sexual relations and other close physical contact.
What do we know about the new strain of the virus?
The current outbreak was caused by the Clade (branch) I of the disease as opposed to the previous outbreak two years ago, from the Clade (branch) 2, which caused a much milder illness. The current outbreak is more contagious and causes more severe symptoms. WHO confirmed over 100 new cases of the 1b strain in neighboring countries and estimated that there are far more active cases.
What is the major concern?
Dr. Roy Zucker, an expert in infectious diseases and head of the LGBTQ health program at Clalit HMO said the new strain spreads more easily and has caused a more severe illness and death among 10% of children under the age of 15. A case that was detected in Sweden likely originated in Africa but more cases are expected. "There is concern that the strain will spread not only through sex or close physical contact and infect groups that have not been considered at risk thus far," he explains.
Are there cases in Israel?
Israel's health authorities said there is no known link to Africa in the few cases reported in Israel.
Do existing vaccines protect against the new strain of the virus?
According to the American Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the existing vaccines are effective against the new strain of the virus but they are in short supply in Africa. Danish Bavarian Nordic, which manufactures the vaccines, said it had 300,000 doses ready for shipment and will be able to supply African nations with an additional 10 million vaccines by the end of the year. The company also asked regulators to authorize and extend the authorized use of the Imvanex vaccine, which is currently approved for people 18 and over, and for youth aged 12 to 17.
Zucker said that experts believe those who receive two doses of the vaccine are protected against the new strain, but more data is needed.
"The recommendations of the Health Ministry and experts around the world recommend vaccines to men who engage in homosexual relations with multiple partners and health officials who may be exposed to infected patients.