Here’s what you need to know about mpox.

What is monkey pox and how worried should you be?

Transcript

00:00The World Health Organization declared Mpox a global health emergency.

00:04But what is Mpox and how worried should we be?

00:07Let me explain.

00:08Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a zoonotic viral disease.

00:11It was renamed in 2022 by the World Health Organization, citing concerns that the

00:16original name could be seen as discriminatory and racist since it had historically been

00:21endemic in Africa.

00:22However, although Mpox and monkeypox mean the same thing, this strain is different.

00:27In July 2024, a new outbreak of Mpox was reported, primarily driven by a more

00:32severe strain known as clade 1b.

00:35This strain has caused significant concern due to its higher virulence and rapid spread,

00:40particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other African countries.

00:44This caused the WHO to declare this outbreak a global health emergency,

00:48the highest level of alarm under international law.

00:51A day later, a case of Mpox was found in Sweden, the first case outside of Africa.

00:57Then, a case in Pakistan.

00:59Symptoms start out as fever, then proceed to rash, at which point it can be transmitted

01:04by contact.

01:05Mpox is transmitted through close contact, particularly sex, skin-to-skin contact,

01:10and talking or breathing close to another person.

01:12This 2024 strain is more infectious, so we are seeing more non-sexual transmissions.

01:184 in 100 cases lead to death.

01:20The current outbreak has resulted in over 15,600 cases and 537 deaths in the DRC alone,

01:27with additional cases reported in at least 13 other African countries.

01:31But how exactly do you treat Mpox?

01:34Mpox is a self-limiting disease, meaning it typically results on its own,

01:38without specific treatment.

01:40Vaccines are available for those at greater risk or who have been in close contact

01:45with an infected person.

01:47Access to vaccines remains a significant challenge, particularly in Africa,

01:51where only 200,000 doses are available,

01:54far short of the 10 million needed to control the outbreak.

01:57Are we Indians at risk?

01:59Sweden reported the first case of the more contagious clade 1b

02:03Mpox infection outside of Africa on 15 August.

02:06Given the interconnected nature of global travel, this strain could spread to other countries.

02:11During the 2022 global Mpox outbreak,

02:14India reported cases of the less deadly clade 2 type.

02:17Initial infections were among travellers from Kerala,

02:20but later cases emerged in Delhi among those without travel history.

02:24WHO data indicated at least 30 confirmed cases and 1 death in India.

02:29The most recent Mpox case in India was reported in Kerala in March 2024.