The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following an outbreak of the virus in parts of Africa.
That comes as health officials also warn of a sharp rise in cases in Toronto.
On Tuesday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the mpox outbreaks were a public health emergency, with more than 500 deaths so far this year, and called for international help to stop the virus’ spread.
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“This is something that should concern us all … The potential for further spread beyond Africa and beyond is very worrying,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a Wednesday media conference.
Originally identified in monkeys in 1958, mpox—or monkeypox—was primarily confined to central and western Africa, and transmitted through close contact with infected animals. However, a shift occurred in 2022 when the virus spread rapidly among people worldwide, including Europe, North America, and beyond.
Mpox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox and causes similar, but generally milder symptoms.
While not considered strictly a sexually transmitted infection, it is spread through contact with bodily fluids or scabs and contaminated personal items like clothing, bedding, sex toys or toothbrushes, according to Toronto Public Health.
The Africa CDC previously said that mpox has been detected in 13 countries this year, and that more than 96 per cent of all cases and deaths are in Congo. Cases are up 160 per cent and deaths are up 19 per cent compared with the same period last year. So far, there have been more than 14,000 cases.
— With files from the Associated Press