What Is Mpox, Declared An Emergency By WHO? Know Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

A day after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared mpox, earlier known as monkeypox, a global health emergency, Sweden on Thursday confirmed its first case of the highly infectious virus.

The patient, who had recently returned from Africa, sought medical attention in Stockholm and was subsequently diagnosed with the disease.

Pakistan has also reported an mpox case, of a man with travel history to Saudi Arabia, Pakistani news outlet Geo News said.

Magnus Gisslén, a state epidemiologist with the Public Health Agency of Sweden, said, "The person has been infected during a stay in the part of Africa where there is a major outbreak of mpox clade I. The person in Sweden who has been confirmed to be infected has received care and rules of conduct."

This is the first reported case of its spread outside of the African continent.

The WHO has declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern, after rising cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the potential for further spread. But WHO has not declared mpox a pandemic. Rather, the measures it has triggered are designed to prevent it from becoming one.

Mpox, once known as monkeypox, is a viral infection closely related to smallpox. Initially discovered in 1958 in Denmark, in monkeys kept for research, the first human case was reported in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since then, mpox has primarily occurred in Central and West Africa, but sporadic outbreaks have also been reported in other parts of the world.

There are two types or clades of mpox. Clade I, from central Africa, has a fatality rate of up to 10% (up to one in ten die) while clade II, which originates in west Africa, is less severe. It has a fatality rate of up to 1% (in other words, roughly one in 100 are expected to die from it).

Mpox is transmitted from animals to humans primarily through direct contact with blood, bodily fluids, or skin or contact with infected animals. In Africa, mpox cases have been associated with handling or consuming bushmeat, particularly rodents, considered the natural reservoirs of the virus.

According to WHO, person-to-person transmission of mpox can occur through direct contact like:

• Skin-to-skin (touching or sex)

• Mouth-to-mouth (kissing)

• Mouth-to-skin contact

• Respiratory droplets or short-range aerosols from prolonged close contact

The disease is typically characterised by fever, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and exhaustion. The presence of swollen lymph nodes is a key feature that distinguishes mpox from smallpox. According to the Cleveland Clinic, these bumps gradually develop into fluid-filled blisters, which eventually scab over before falling off. The entire process can last from two to four weeks.

There is no specific antiviral treatment for mpox, but management of the disease focuses on taking care of the rashes, managing pain and preventing complications. WHO says getting an mpox vaccine can help prevent infection if given within four days of contact with someone who has mpox (or within up to 14 days if there are no symptoms).

Pakistan has reported its first mpox case of 2024 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A man who recently returned from Saudi Arabia has been confirmed to have the virus. According to Geo News, a health ministry official reported that samples have been collected from individuals who had contact with the infected person. The ministry has also directed Border Health Services to begin strict monitoring at all entry points.