On Aug. 14, the classified , which is surging across several African countries, as a " ." This action will help mobilize global and regional public health resources to better monitor and respond to the threats posed.
Naturally, in the wake of COVID-19, this has many people worried we're about to relive the of lockdowns and fears of acquiring a potentially deadly virus. As an epidemiologist who studies the intersection of infectious diseases and social life, I share these concerns, but, at this point, I believe the should raise caution, not cause panic. What is mpox and how does it spread? Mpox, once referred to as monkeypox, is a virus that causes .
Fortunately, the virus is with infected lesions or bodily fluids, or through contaminated materials like bedding. This means it is not typically as contagious as such as COVID. However, it , although this only typically occurs with prolonged close contact in areas with limited ventilation.
These characteristics explain why historically mpox outbreaks have typically been limited to densely interconnected sexual networks and in venues where may be prolonged, such as in . However, the current situation in Africa is showing that some of these characteristics are changing. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and neighboring countries, it appears that —arising from a strain referred to as Clade 2—is taking hold.
This is evidenced by the fact that several African countries that had are now seeing increased spread. As well, note.