THURSDAY (HealthDay News), May 16, 2024 -- The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in central Africa, is dealing with a record number of mpox cases, driven by a strain of the virus that has a greater fatality rate than the variation that spread to Europe and America in 2022.
Experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated in a report released on Thursday that it is critical to contain the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and bring it under control.
According to a team lead by CDC research biologist Christina Hutson, the spread of the deadly clade I strain of mpox "raises concerns that the virus could spread he tells other nations how important it is for everyone to act quickly and together to help the DRC get rid of the virus."
Clade II was the name of the mpox (formerly called monkeypox) strain that traveled from Africa to Europe and North America two years ago.
Various studies have reported a fatality rate from the sickness ranging from 0.1% to 3.6% of patients, despite the condition being unpleasant and occasionally severe.
However, clade 1 mpox is more deadly; according to Hutson's research, patient fatalities from the illness have varied from 1.4% to 10%.
There have already been a large number of deaths from the ongoing clade I mpox outbreak in the DRC: According to the DRC, there were "multiple provincial outbreaks" between April 14, 2024, and the beginning of 2023. There were an estimated 19,919 cases and 975 deaths overall, or around one patient out of every 20.
The CDC said that cases of group I mpox were found in 25 of the 26 provinces and, for the first time, in Kinshasa, the capital city. This could be the biggest spread as well.
One of the most dangerous groups is kids. More than three quarters (78%) of suspected deaths and two thirds (67%) of suspected cases have happened to people 15 years or younger, according to the study.
Mpox can be passed from person to person through close touch. Because humans touch each other so close during sexual relations, diseases can often be passed from one person to another. Fever, chills, tiredness, headaches, and weak muscles are often the first signs. A rash with spots that scab over and heal slowly over a few weeks is often the next sign.
One of the most dangerous groups is kids. More than three quarters (78%) of suspected deaths and two thirds (67%) of suspected cases have happened to people 15 years or younger, according to the study.
Mpox can be passed from person to person through close touch. Because humans touch each other so close during sexual relations, diseases can often be passed from one person to another. Fever, chills, tiredness, headaches, and weak muscles are often the first signs. A rash with spots that scab over and heal slowly over a few weeks is often the next sign.
While anybody can contract mpox, men who engage in male-to-male intercourse are especially susceptible, and individuals living with HIV are more susceptible to severe illness.
"Investigators say that clade I MPXV was sexually transmitted between men who have sex with other men and between male and female sex workers and their contacts in two cases in the DRC.
The mpox virus is indigenous to Africa and can be transmitted to people through contact with animals like monkeys. Data from the most recent DRC outbreak "suggests that outbreaks involve multiple introductions from animal hosts within DRC," according to Hutson's team interpretation.
Fortunately, there is a vaccination against mpox, known as Jynneos. The two doses of the regimen are administered around a month apart.
The CDC team stated that the organization has been assisting the DRC in combating mpox epidemics for a considerable amount of time.
"The CDC has helped the DRC with mpox-related activities over the last 15 years, according to Hutson's team. These include setting up testing and training labs, funding genetic sequencing and diagnostic testing, doing clinical research on the Jynneos vaccine, and teaching health care workers who work directly with patients.
Regarding the most recent epidemic, the CDC is attempting to limit the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring countries while enhancing US readiness in the event that the virus spreads among Americans.
"On December 7, 2023, the CDC sent out a Health Alert Network notice asking U.S. doctors to look for clade I MPXV infections in people who have mpox symptoms and have recently been to DRC," the researchers said. The warning suggested that those people get clade-specific tests done more quickly."
They pointed out that "to date, no cases of clade I mpox have been reported in the United States or in any countries where the virus is not endemic."
The likelihood of mpox clade 1 impacting children in the US is extremely low, the researchers emphasized.
This is due to the fact that households in the US often live in less cramped quarters, animals do not carry mpox, and general household hygiene is significantly better than that of many low-income families in the DRC.
Nevertheless, should clade I evolve in this nation, the scientists pointed out that there is a very real risk to Americans, particularly to high-risk populations like gay and bisexual men.
The CDC team said that in the US, only 23% of people who are at risk for clade II MPXV infection have finished the 2-dose Jynneos vaccine series. However, it is very important to vaccinate those who are at risk.
The researchers stated that there are already "reports of increased mpox in some [DRC-] bordering countries," which heightens the anxiety about the possibility of a second, more devastating worldwide pandemic.
This is what the researchers found: U.S. doctors and public health workers should be on the lookout for possible cases in visitors from the DRC and ask for tests that are specific to that group.
Because the sickness could be very bad, it is very important to get the right medical care. If there are any cases of clade I mpox in the U.S., Hutson's team says that it will be important to keep track of contacts and use control measures like isolation, attitude change, and the vaccine to stop the disease from spreading.
Because the sickness could be very bad, it is very important to get the right medical care. If there are any cases of clade I mpox in the U.S., Hutson's team says that it will be important to keep track of contacts and use control measures like isolation, attitude change, and the vaccine to stop the disease from spreading.
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