By Don Rauf | Everyday Health
As a more dangerous and contagious new strain of the virus spreads in Africa, U.S. public health officials are carefully monitoring the risk.
Two years after mpox (formerly called monkeypox) swept the globe, a more virulent form of the disease is swiftly spreading throughout Africa and now reaching other continents, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern.”
Last year, the new mpox variant (clade 1b) emerged in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has now broadened its reach to at least 12 African nations, including Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa.
In 2024 alone, Africa has reported more than 17,000 cases and more than 500 deaths. These figures represent a 160 percent and 19 percent increase in the number of cases and deaths, respectively, compared with the same period in 2023.
Recently, the virus slipped out of the continent, with Sweden reporting its first case last week, and Thailand recording a second confirmed case outside of Africa on August 22.
“The current upsurge of mpox in parts of Africa, along with the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain of the monkeypox virus, is an emergency, not only for Africa, but for the entire globe,” said Dimie Ogoina, MBBS, a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the Niger Delta University in Nigeria, in a statement. “Mpox, originating in Africa, was neglected there, and later caused a global outbreak in 2022. It is time to act decisively to prevent history from repeating itself.”
U.S. Faces Little Risk at This Time
While the WHO’s declaration of a public health emergency has the United States on high alert, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) rates the risk of clade 1b mpox coming to this country as “very low at this time,” and says no U.S. cases have been detected as of yet.
Mpox spreads between people, mainly through close contact, but since the number of travelers from the Congo and its neighboring countries to the United States is limited, public health officials do not see a high threat level here now.
Still, William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease specialist and a professor of preventive medicine and health policy at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, urges the public to be vigilant.
“It seems there is a good chance that there will be more importations into other countries, and the United States is certainly on that list,” he says.
Why Is This Version of Mpox So Threatening?
Compared with clade 2, the form of mpox that drove the 2022 outbreak, the new clade 1 strain is thought to be more transmissible and cause more severe illness and death.
The WHO warns that this virus jumps from person to person through close contact, including skin-to-skin (such as touching or sex) and mouth-to-mouth, or mouth-to-skin contact (such as kissing). The disease can also spread through respiratory particles that a person with mpox emits when talking or breathing.
Occasionally, the virus can infect someone via contaminated surfaces and objects, such as bedding and clothing.
What Are the Symptoms of Mpox?
Individuals who believe they have been in contact with an infected person or traveled to a country with high viral transmission are urged to be on the lookout for signs of the illness.
“A primary symptom of mpox is a rash that looks like pimples or blisters, but symptoms can also include fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, muscle aches and backaches, headache, and respiratory symptoms,” says Rebecca Bartles, DrPH, the executive director of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Center for Research, Practice, and Innovation in Arlington, Virginia.
The rash may spread quickly within three days of experiencing the initial signs of infection.
Most people experience mild to moderate symptoms that usually last two to four weeks, followed by a full recovery, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
Who Is Most at Risk, and How to Protect Yourself
While women and children have been infected, “mpox still primarily affects gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, as well as transgender and nonbinary individuals, particularly those with uncontrolled HIV,” says Scott Bertani, MPH, the director of advocacy with the National Coalition for LGBTQ Health in Washington, DC.
He adds, “Vaccine-induced immunity and behavioral changes have significantly reduced mpox’s severity and spread, but continued efforts are essential, especially to ensure that everyone needing the vaccine receives both doses.”
The Jynneos vaccine, which has been effective for clade 2 mpox, is expected to protect against clade 1, according to the CDC.
Bertani notes that the vaccine is widely available across the United States from community-based clinics, many LGBTQ+ health clinics and service providers, retail pharmacies, and healthcare providers, as well as within networks offering community-based services.
Dr. Schaffner adds that any individual traveling to a country with a high rate of mpox transmission may want to consult with their physician about getting vaccinated.
Currently there is no treatment specifically approved for mpox, but the antiviral drug tecovirimat (TPOXX) has been used to treat the condition, especially in people who have a severe infection or are likely to become severely ill.
Public Health Officials Remain Vigilant
Overall, U.S. health officials are advising the American public to keep up with the latest news but not to be overly worried.
“For most people in the U.S., the immediate risk from clade 1 mpox is low, but public health authorities remain vigilant due to its more severe nature, with the CDC issuing health alerts to ensure providers monitor at-risk communities closely,” says Bertani.
