The World Health Organization (WHO) is concerned about the spread of the MPOX virus, the “Frankfurter Rundschau” reports.
The virus is also known as monkeypox. However, the WHO changed the name last year.
There was already an increase in cases of MPOX virus disease in some regions in 2022.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is concerned about the possible spread of the MPOX virus, reports the “Frankfurter Rundschau“. The virus is also known as monkeypox, but the WHO changed this last year to prevent prejudice and stigma. Currently, most of the reported sick people are in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but international cases are also conceivable in the future.
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WHO specialist Rosamund Lewis said in Geneva last Friday that the organization was “concerned that international transmission is occurring.” A “rapid” increase in cases has already been detected in Congo. According to Lewis, more than 13,000 suspected cases have been registered in the capital Kinshasa this year – more than double last year’s numbers. Some Asian countries have also recorded increased outbreaks, including Japan, Vietnam, China and Indonesia. The number of reported cases there has increased in recent months: from around 100 cases per month to currently “more than 1,000 per month”.
An infection with MPOX is predominantly mild
According to the “Frankfurter Rundschau”, the WHO has recorded over 92,000 cases of infection in 117 countries since May 2022. At that time, there had already been an increase in cases of MPOX virus disease in some regions. It spread from Africa to Europe. As a result, the WHO declared a state of emergency – but this was declared over after about a year.
The MPOX virus is, according to information from the Federal Ministry of Health, a rare viral disease caused by the virus Orthopoxvirus simiae. It probably originated in squirrels and rodents in Africa. It is transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals or consumption of them. Transmission from person to person occurs through close contact with the skin, mucous membranes or body fluids of an infected person and through droplet infections. This could be the case, for example, during sexual intercourse. Nevertheless, according to the Ministry of Health, the virus is not considered very contagious.
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In addition to fever, headaches and muscle pain, symptoms also include swollen lymph nodes and skin changes. Compared to smallpox, which has been eradicated since 1980, infection with the MPOX virus is generally milder. However, in serious cases of illness it can also lead to complications. However, most people would recover within a few weeks. The WHO is already working on developing a vaccine.
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