The disease has already infected more than eight thousand people and has been responsible for 384 deaths this year in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Summary
A new monkeypox epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo is worrying the international scientific community due to its rapid spread and the presence of the Clade 1b variant, which is more transmissible and serious.
A new smallpox epidemic, known as monkeypoxin the Democratic Republic of Congo, concerns the international scientific community.
The disease, which has already infected more than 8,000 people and has been responsible for 384 deaths in the country this year alone, mostly among children, is spreading rapidly to neighboring countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
What makes this epidemic even more worrying is the presence of the variant Clade Ibwhich appears to be more transmissible and capable of causing more serious infections.
What is being done?
Given this scenario, the World Health Organization (WHO) has decided to convene an emergency committee to assess whether the outbreak of mbox constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.
This is the highest score in WHO and indicates a high risk to global health. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the decision to convene the committee was due to the rapid spread of the disease and the possibility of future international spread.
WHO has already allocated financial resources to support affected countries and is working to accelerate access. vaccines against the disease.
However, the lack of data and the complexity of the situation require a rapid and coordinated response from the international community.
And what does science know?
The scientific community is still learning about the Clade Ib variant and its impacts. At this time, the priority is to conduct further research to better understand transmission, disease severity, and the effectiveness of existing vaccines.
Another point that was discussed concerns the health systems of the affected countries to ensure equitable access to tests, treatments and vaccines.
What is monkeypox?
Monkeypox is an infectious disease caused by a virus of the poxvirus family. Symptoms include fever, muscle pain, lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes), and a rash, which may resemble that of smallpox.
Transmission occurs mainly through direct contact with skin lesions, infected body fluids, or contaminated materials.
In Brazil, there is a vaccine against the disease that began to be applied in March last year for specific groups, such as people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and laboratory professionals who work directly with the Orthopoxvirus family, from MPOX.
Source: Terra
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