How far has mpox spread, and what can you do to protect yourself?

• New pox virus strain Clade 1 detected in Pakistan, Sweden
• Virus spreads through close contact; higher risk in children
• No cure; vaccines limited, especially in Africa

At least two nations outside Africa have reported pox cases since the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the virus a “public health emergency” earlier this week.

Clade 1, a relatively new virus variant, has spread in African countries since 2022.

Earlier this year, it was claimed that the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was witnessing the largest outbreak of the disease ever recorded, with tens of thousands affected by June. The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo designated it an epidemic in December 2022.

Last Monday, the Africa CDC stated that pox had been found in at least 13 African countries. According to the organisation, cases are up 160 per cent from the same period last year, while deaths are up 19 per cent.

What we know so far about the disease’s distribution, how it affects the human body, and how to prevent infection.

In which other countries have the new strain of the pox virus spread?

On Friday, the Pakistan Ministry of National Health Services announced the country’s first virus case, stating that the individual had travelled from Saudi Arabia.

According to health experts, sequencing is currently underway to ascertain the precise strain of HIV with which the victim was infected.

On Thursday, Swedish health officials confirmed the country’s first case of pox, the clade 1 strain. The victim was infected in Africa and is currently receiving treatment.

Clade 1 causes a greater proportion of severe infections and appears to be more easily transmitted by routine close contact, including sexual interaction.

On Friday, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) upgraded its risk alert level to “moderate” from “low”. It urged governments to maintain high levels of awareness among visitors from impacted areas.

How does the virus infect the body?

Mpox primarily infects people and animals. It is in the same virus family as smallpox, although the symptoms are milder, such as fever, chills, and body pains. However, it has the potential to cause severe disease and even death in certain circumstances.

The virus enters the body through damaged skin or the airways. It then travels via the bloodstream, causing influenza-like symptoms and skin sores.

According to Michael Marks of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, scientists “don’t think that mpox has direct effects on the immune system.

“Beyond the fact that all infections obviously transiently cause responses in the immune system, we don’t believe there are long-term impacts on the immune system from mpox,” according to him.

Dr Ngashi Ngongo, chief of staff at Africa CDC, also said that the virus causes symptoms that last “two to four weeks”.

“This is an illness. Whether you get the severe type, which leads to death, or you recover in two to four weeks. “Everything returns to normal,” he remarked.

How is the virus spread?

The virus spreads by intimate contact with an infected person or animal. For human-to-human infection, the virus can be transmitted by skin sores, skin-to-skin contact, and talking or breathing too near to an infected individual.

It can also be transmitted through infected materials such as surfaces, bedding, clothing, and towels, as the virus enters the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract, or the eyes, nose, and mouth.

Marks said that the most critical transmission mode is through skin-to-skin contact since the virus remains visible on skin lesions for “three weeks or so,” rather than through the respiratory system because “most people’s throats are cleared by seven to ten days.”

The virus often enters the body by bites, scratches, or contact with an infected animal’s wounds.

What exactly are the symptoms?

The illness causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled sores. It is usually minor but can be fatal.

According to Marks, most persons have a “relatively mild illness” that includes a fever, muscle aches, and a rash with “five to 25 lesions”.

“Some people become much more unwell and they may develop a more severe illness with hundreds of lesions all over the body,” he told CNN.

What variables can lead to more severe symptoms?

While the sickness causes minor symptoms in most people, Marks added that some people are more likely to experience severe symptoms.

“For example, those with untreated HIV [a sexually transmitted virus] or a weakened immune system are at an even higher risk of developing serious disease. “Children appear to be at higher risk of severe disease,” he added.

He explained that children are more likely to be infected by pox than adults for “a variety of reasons.”

“A lot of the transmission occurs in densely populated places with numerous children, and youngsters are presumably more likely to run around and come into direct skin-to-skin contact with others, resulting in transmission. “Whereas adults have less direct contact with others,” he explained.

Ngongo also stated that children are at a higher risk since their “defence mechanism,” the immune system is still maturing.

What treatment options are available for this strain of pox?

Marks stated there is no cure for pox, but several antiviral medications are being explored.

“Vaccination, on the other hand, is an effective risk-reduction measure. The objective should be to deliver an adequate supply of vaccine to the most vulnerable populations in the DRC and neighbouring countries,” he said.

“If we can vaccinate individuals at risk they will be protected from infection and this will help control the epidemic – so both benefit the person vaccinated and the broader population,” said the scientist.

Poorer African countries do not have access to a pox vaccine, which was used by several Western countries during the 2022 outbreak, according to Ngongo.

“There are no vaccines in Africa. Whatever remains of the vaccine is hoarded in the West as part of their own emergency preparedness. But we have a continuing emergency here,” he stated.

Clade 1, pox virus, Pakistan, Sweden, transmission, vaccine shortage, Africa

Ngongo added that the Africa CDC was able to secure 280,000 pills thanks to contributions. However, for the vaccine to be successful, patients must take two doses, which reduces the amount available to only 140,000 people.

How can you defend yourself?

Ngongo recommended people to “go back to the basics of personal hygiene” and remember to wash their hands, avoid contact with sick individuals, and go to the hospital if they exhibit symptoms so that the virus can be contained.

If you live in a country where Mpox vaccines are available, they can also help protect the population.

Can the pox virus spread further?

Given the resources available in more prosperous nations to combat the virus’s spread, scientists believe that transmissions can be stopped relatively swiftly if additional cases connected to Congo are detected soon.

Marks stated that the “major risk” is in central Africa, where the disease is already spreading.

“There are likely to be small numbers of cases exported further afield, as [in] the Swedish case, but the major risk and the focus for action needs to be on central Africa,” he told CNN.

Ngongo also advised people to learn from the COVID-19 outbreak and “act now.

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