The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is grappling with a severe outbreak of the highly contagious Mpox virus, with over 570 deaths reported. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Mpox a global health emergency as the DRC and neighboring countries face rapidly increasing cases. Efforts are underway to secure vaccines from the United States and Japan to combat the more deadly Clade-1b strain, which has a fatality rate of 3.6%, particularly affecting children.
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- Mpox Outbreak in DRC: The Democratic Republic of Congo reports over 570 deaths due to the highly contagious Mpox virus.
- Rising Cases: Mpox cases in the DRC have surged from 16,000 to 16,700 within a short period.
- Global Health Emergency: The WHO has declared Mpox a global health emergency, urging countries to intensify vaccination efforts.
- Vaccination Awaited: The DRC is awaiting 50,000 vaccine doses from the United States and 3.5 million doses from Japan.
- Health Minister’s Statement: DRC Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba calls the situation a “continental emergency.”
- Spread to Other Countries: Besides DRC, Mpox outbreaks have been reported in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
- Global Spread: The Clade-1 strain of Mpox has also been detected in Sweden and Pakistan.
- Clade 1b Strain: The newer, deadlier Clade 1b strain has a fatality rate of 3.6%, with children being particularly at risk.
- Vaccines and Treatment: Two vaccines, JYNNEOS and ACAM2000, are recommended by WHO experts for Mpox and are approved by several health authorities.
