Monkey Pox Emergency in Africa

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[This silly continent now has more nonsense. I think I was vaccinated for money pox in Rhodesia. I'm not sure. I need to ask other Rhodesians if they remember. Jan]

The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared a continental public health emergency yesterday over a surge in cases of a fast-spreading mpox variant in recent weeks. Over 15,000 cases and roughly 460 deaths have been recorded across 18 countries in Africa, a 160% increase over the previous year.

Known as monkeypox until 2022 (see history), the mpox virus is transmitted via close contact and has a lengthy incubation period of between three and 17 days. Early symptoms resemble a typical cold but culminate in pus-filled skin lesions around the body. Two viral strains, Clade I and II, have been endemic in Africa for decades, though variants of Clade II have evolved to be far more virulent in recent years, with a fatality rate of 3% to 4%. Only 200,000 mpox vaccines are available amid a demand for over 10 million doses.

US cases have declined after spiking to over 30,000 in 2022, though wastewater data show numbers ticking up across the country.

Source: 1440