https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gd2p04405o
The monkeypox virus, which has killed more than 500 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo this year, continues to spread around the world. Last week, a strain of the virus was discovered in Sweden, and the World Health Organization declared the monkeypox epidemic a global health emergency.
Monkeypox is a highly contagious viral disease. The virus was originally transmitted from animals to humans, but it is now also transmitted from person to person through direct physical contact, for example, as well as through the air - if an infected person breathes in another person's face or talks close to them. The virus can also be spread by touching objects, including bedding, clothing, and towels.
There was a global outbreak of monkeypox as recently as 2022-2023, but earlier outbreaks of this smallpox were caused by a less dangerous strain - the so-called clade II. Clade I has now spread across Africa, killing up to 10% of those infected.
According to the WHO, as of the end of June, cases of monkeypox had been recorded in 116 countries. Since the beginning of this year, more than 13,700 cases of monkeypox and at least 500 deaths have been registered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In addition to the DRC, cases of infection have been detected in the Central African Republic, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and other countries.
In a reference on monkeypox on its website, the WHO recalls that in May 2022, this disease suddenly and rapidly spread across Europe, North and South America, and then throughout the world, and as a result, 87 thousand people fell ill with it in 110 countries, and 112 patients died.
Danish company Bavarian Nordic, the maker of one of the two WHO-approved vaccines, says it has enough production capacity to meet demand. Now that the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has declared a public health emergency across the continent, there is hope that governments will be able to better coordinate their response and perhaps increase the flow of supplies to affected regions. Without a global response, there are real concerns that the current outbreak will lead to the disease spreading further outside Africa.
Read also:
The UN Climate Change Conference COP 29 to Be Held From 11 to 22 November in Baku
"Renaissance of Central Asia: Towards Sustainable Development and Prosperity"