Tourists have been warned of the dangers of travel in 13 African countries after the World Health Organization has declared mpox, a virus causing flu-like symptoms and blistering, a global public health emergency due to its rapid spread.
While one major tourism destination, Kenya, is on the list, the country has reported just one case and the patient has since healed.
Mpox, caused by the monkeypox virus, poses risks to immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, and those with limited immune responses. The disease is transmitted through body fluids or skin lesions and has different virulence levels among virus lineages.
A different form of the mpox virus , clade IIb, spread globally in 2022, largely through sexual contact among men who have sex with men. The alarm was raised in recent months as a new, deadlier strain of mpox extended beyond the Democratic Republic of Congo to at least 12 other African countries, indicating a significant increase in cases across the region. Contact countries include Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo Republic, Kenya, Zambia, Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda.
Comparisons to the previous year show a 160pc surge in mpox cases, and the virus has led to the death of over 500 individuals since the beginning of the year.
This development highlights the urgent need for international collaboration and response efforts to control the spread of mpox and mitigate its impact on public health in affected regions.
Mpox caused outbreaks in 91 countries from May to August 2022 with countries having high air travel concentrations showing increased Mpox cases.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said “WHO is committed in the days and weeks ahead to coordinate the global response, working closely with each of the affected countries, and leveraging our on-the-ground presence, to prevent transmission, treat those infected, and save lives.”