The Mpox strain spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo is more deadly than previous ones and puts children at risk.
Now that a deadly form of MPox has spread beyond the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is set to warn doctors in the United States about possible cases.
“In the coming days, CDC will issue an updated health notification to physicians about the developing MPox situation,” the agency said in a statement to NBC News.
MPox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a virus that causes fever, headache and muscle aches, as well as painful boils on the skin. It spreads from person to person through close skin-to-skin contact. In rare cases, it can be fatal.
The World Health Organization (WHO) is investigating whether the latest outbreak should be declared a global public health emergency.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted Sunday, “I am considering convening an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee to advise me on whether the Mpox outbreak should be declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).”
It was unclear Monday when the WHO or the CDC would issue an alert.
Why is MPox a concern for health officials?
Congo, located in central Africa, has experienced the worst of the ongoing MPox outbreak. More than 12,000 people have been diagnosed there and at least 470 have died.
But now neighboring countries, including Kenya and the Central African Republic, have reported cases linked to the strain spreading in Congo.
This is different from the type of MPox that has been circulating in 2022, which mainly affects men who have sex with men. These cases have decreased significantly in the US.
The current strain, called clade 1b, is worrisome because of its virulence. About 4% of cases of clade 1b MPox are fatal, while less than 1% of subtype 2022, called clade 2b, are fatal.
And it is children who are particularly affected by variant 1b.
“The majority of cases reported in known endemic provinces are occurring in children under 15 years of age,” the WHO wrote on its website. “Infants and children under five years of age are at greatest risk of severe disease and death.”
Children account for 62% of MPOX deaths in Congo, according to the WHO.
Is the United States at risk of a similar Mpox outbreak?
According to the CDC, the Jynneos MPOX vaccine, given in two doses, is effective against both MPOX clade 1 and clade 2.
But the CDC says less than a quarter of people at risk of MPOX in the United States have received both shots.
Despite the low acceptance, these vaccines are more abundant in the United States than in African countries.
“There’s a limited supply of them worldwide and the bulk of that supply is in countries like the United States that have purchased these vaccines as part of a strategic national stockpile,” said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada.
“I’m more concerned about people in African countries where these vaccines are not available,” she stressed.