The World Health Organization (WHO) warns of a dangerous strain of monkeypox virus spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a mortality rate of up to 10%.
John Claude Udahemuka, a professor at the University of Rwanda, stated that the new strain is rapidly spreading and has mutations of the indigenous monkeypox strain I that has been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for decades. This strain is regarded as dangerous, with a mortality rate of approximately 5% in adults and 10% in children. In comparison, the mortality rate for the previous strain was around 1%, according to WHO.
Monkeypox vaccine, August 2022. (Photo: MediaNews Group).
According to statistics from the United Nations health agency, there have been approximately 8,600 cases of monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the beginning of the year, with 410 deaths. “At this rate, we are concerned that the outbreak in the Congo could become a source of infection for other countries,” stated Cris Kacita, the country’s outbreak response physician.
Professor Udahemuka and other researchers indicated that the new strain is spreading through sexual contact between both men and women, particularly among sex workers. Experts are also investigating other transmission routes from caregivers and guardians to children. The disease appears to cause miscarriages in women, as well as rashes and other symptoms.
Monkeypox is a viral disease that spreads through close contact, causing flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. Most cases exhibit mild symptoms, but it can still be fatal.
WHO reported that from 2021 to 2023, the world recorded 92,000 infections and 167 deaths due to monkeypox, primarily involving men who have sex with men and those with multiple sexual partners.
Initial cases were concentrated in the U.S. and several European countries, prompting the United Nations health agency to declare a public health emergency. This status was lifted in May 2022.
Vietnam reported its first monkeypox case in October 2022. By early this year, the Ministry of Health recorded over 68 monkeypox cases, with 6 fatalities, most of whom had a history of HIV infection. Since then, localities have continued to sporadically report cases of monkeypox.
