Scientists at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas know how widespread the monkeypox virus is, even before cases are officially reported to the health department, by studying wastewater. Mpox (formerly monkeypox) has officially been declared a public health emergency by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The African agency reported an increase in the disease throughout the continent and warned that the virus could spread across international borders, The Associated Press reported.
More than 96% of all mpox cases and deaths have taken place in Congo, even though mpox has been detected in 13 African countries. MPOX DECLARED PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY IN AFRICA AS AUTHORITIES BATTLE MULTIPLE VARIANTS The Africa CDC confirmed that overall cases are up 160%, and deaths increased by 19% compared to last year, according to AP. Additionally, Swedish health authorities just announced the first case of the highly infectious mpox as well.
"In this case, a person was infected during a stay in the part of Africa where there is a major outbreak of [the more infectious mpox formerly known as monkeypox]," the Public Health Agency of Sweden said on Thursday. The backs of the hands of a patient with mpox showing a characteristic rash during his recovery phase. (CDC/IMAGE POINT FR/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Unlike in the 2022 epidemic, when mpox was typically spread through close contact (including sex) between gay and bisexual men, patterns in Africa sho.