There has recently been a rise in cases of monkeypox (commonly known as Mpox) in African countries, leading the World Health Organization to declare the disease a public health emergency of international concern.
The decision came after the Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 15,664 cases and 537 deaths due to the virus, according to the WHO. Last year, cases reached a new record high, but this year’s numbers have already surpassed that.
According to the WHO, the decision to declare a state of emergency is mainly due to the rapid spread of a virus strain called clade 1b, although other strains are also spreading.
“Clade 1b is not our only concern. Clade 1a cases have also been reported this year in the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo, while Clade 2 cases have been reported in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Nigeria and South Africa,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said at a committee meeting.
The WHO also gave the disease this distinction in 2022 after outbreaks spread to 110 countries and 87,000 cases were reported. The outbreak was caused by a strain called clade 2, but strains 1a and 1b are more severe.
The 2022 outbreak was felt in Ohio, causing a spike in monkeypox cases in the state. According to the Ohio Department of Health, reports of the disease peaked in the summer of 2022 with ten cases in one day.
According to the WHO, monkeypox can spread through physical contact with infected people or animals or through contact with contaminated materials. Symptoms may include skin rashes or mucous membrane lesions lasting two to four weeks, fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, lack of energy and swollen lymph nodes.
What does the monkeypox emergency mean for Stark County, Ohio?
The last case of monkeypox in Ohio was recorded by the ODH in late May. While a total of 459 cases have been reported in Ohio, only 9 of them are in Stark County. The county in Ohio that recorded the most cases was Cuyahoga County, where 174 cases were reported. Although little is currently known about the potential of the virus to spread in the United States and the Ohio area, a statement from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention last week suggests that the current risk of the virus spreading in the United States is low.
Kay Conley, director of administration and support services for the Stark County Health Department, said they are monitoring the disease locally and are prepared to respond should the disease spread in the Stark County area.
“We can vaccinate, we can test, we can connect care when it is needed or when it becomes a problem,” she said.
Who should be vaccinated against the monkeypox virus?
The WHO recommends vaccination against monkeypox for the following people:
- Health workers are at risk of infection
- Men who have sex with men
- People with multiple sexual partners
- Sex workers
How can I protect myself from the monkeypox virus?
Conley said precautions against monkeypox were similar to those against any other contagious disease.
“If someone has breathed the same air, it won’t necessarily be transmitted that way,” she said. “There will be direct contact, so you have to be aware if someone has had contact or is coming from an area where the disease or transmission has been high.”
The CDC recommends the following to prevent monkeypox infection:
- Get vaccinated with the JYNNEOS vaccine on the recommendation of a doctor.
- Learn how to reduce your risk of getting MPOX during sex or social gatherings. This may include limiting activities that involve close personal contact.
- Avoid close skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox and with animals that carry the monkeypox virus.
- Avoid contact with objects and materials that a person with Mpox has used.
- Wash your hands often.
