WHO declares global health emergency for latest mpox outbreak; 100 lab-confirmed cases of deadlier strain detected in four African countries, WHO collaborates on vaccine access

The World Health Organization Aug. 14 declared a global health emergency due to the recent mpox outbreak in Africa, the second mpox declaration in two years. The WHO said the emergence of a deadlier strain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, clade 1b, spread rapidly within the past year and has been detected in four neighboring countries that have not reported mpox cases before: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. More than 100 laboratory-confirmed cases of the new strain have been reported in those countries, and experts believe the true total is higher due to a large number of cases that have not been tested. The WHO is working with countries and vaccine manufacturers on potential mpox vaccine donations and facilitating access to vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and other tools.  

In its response to the WHO’s declaration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that “the risk to the general public in the United States from clade I mpox circulating in the DRC is very low, and there are no known cases in the United States at this time. Due to efforts over the last nine months, the United States is well prepared to rapidly detect, contain, and manage clade I cases should they be identified domestically.” Further, HHS “continue[s] to encourage those at high risk to get vaccinated with the JYNNEOS mpox vaccine, which has been demonstrated to be safe and highly effective at preventing severe disease from mpox.”