The world had just started recovering from the threat of COVID-19 when a new virus has sparked concerns. This virus, known as Mpox, has led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a global public health emergency.
The health agency has classified it as a "Grade 3 Emergency," meaning it requires immediate attention. Since January 2023, over 27,000 cases have been reported, with approximately 1,100 deaths recorded.
The virus has now spread beyond parts of Congo to areas like Eastern Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, and Kenya.
Cases of the Mpox virus were initially confined to Africa, but have now started to appear outside the continent. Pakistan has reported its first case of Mpox a day after Sweden confirmed an infection. The Pakistani Ministry of Health has confirmed the case, with symptoms found in a 34-year-old male.
The diagnosis was confirmed by Khyber Medical University in Peshawar. The patient had returned to Pakistan from Saudi Arabia on August 3rd and developed symptoms shortly after arriving in Peshawar.
The public health agency has confirmed that the virus strain found in Pakistan is the same one that has been increasing in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since September 2023. This strain is known as Clade 1B sub-clade.
The DRC, located in Central Africa, is the second-largest country in Africa and the largest French-speaking country in the world. This new viral strain, first identified in September 2023, has now been found outside the DRC.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated during a news conference, "The emergence of a new Mpox group, its rapid spread in Eastern DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo), and reports of cases in several neighbouring countries are very concerning. Besides the outbreaks of other Mpox clades in DRC and other African countries, it is clear that international action is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives."
Mpox is a viral disease caused by the Mpox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus. Formerly known as monkeypox, this virus was first identified by scientists in 1958 during an outbreak of a "pox-like" illness in monkeys. Mpox virus is part of the same family as the smallpox virus.
