Health experts are raising concerns about the latest mpox outbreak.

• The latest outbreak, with its new subvariant, poses challenges for containing it due to the "many unknowns" surrounding it, as health experts have cautioned.
• The disease known as mpox is a viral infection that spreads through close contact and results in flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. Although typically mild, it can be fatal.
• Dr. Hans Kluge, the WHO's director for Europe, stated on Tuesday that the current outbreak is not the new Covid and can be controlled through international cooperation.

Some health experts are concerned about the escalating mpox outbreak, as the latest strain of the virus may be more contagious and deadly than the early 2022 outbreak.

The World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency after an outbreak in the DRC spread to neighboring countries.

In countries where mpox is not typically found, such as Sweden, Pakistan, and Thailand, cases have been reported since the new outbreak. However, it is unclear which strain has been identified in some of these nations.

The disease known as mpox is a viral infection that spreads through close contact and results in flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. Although typically mild, it can be fatal.

Dr. Hans Kluge, the WHO's director for Europe, stated on Tuesday that the current outbreak is not the new Covid and can be controlled through international cooperation.

The latest outbreak poses challenges for health experts due to the "many unknowns" surrounding it, particularly the new subvariant, which may make containment more difficult.

The emergence of Clade 1b presents many unknowns that require attention, according to Trudie Lang, professor of global health research and director of The Global Health Network at the University of Oxford.

She stated that there is growing evidence of variations in transmission and manifestations, including a higher likelihood of person-to-person transmission and from mothers to their infants during pregnancy.

The current strain of mpox, identified as clade 1, appears to spread more easily and has a higher fatality rate compared to clade 2, the strain from 2022.

Jonas Albarnaz, a research fellow at The Pirbright Institute, stated that a new clade 1b subvariant has been identified and is predominantly found among young people. This subvariant seems to be spreading through sexual networks.

To inform the control strategies, he observed that more data is required to comprehend the transmission dynamics.

More vulnerable countries

The outbreak of Clade 1 has been accelerated in countries with more prevalent health conditions and poorer healthcare systems due to its severe impact on young children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised individuals.

The current mpox outbreak is a concern for immunocompromised individuals, as the disease is more severe in this population. Additionally, the region where the outbreak is occurring has a relatively high HIV prevalence but poor access to antiretroviral drugs, which may exacerbate the situation.

The escalation of conflicts in certain African regions, including the DRC, has resulted in an increase in the number of displaced individuals and has further deteriorated sanitation standards, contributing to the rapid spread of disease.

The WHO reports that over 15,000 cases and 537 deaths have been linked to the outbreak in the DRC this year, with additional cases reported in other regions.

Ferguson stated that more cases may emerge in the near future due to the absence of measures to control the spread of the virus from one country to another. He also pointed out that the lessons from the previous outbreak, which was declared a public health emergency in July 2022 and later removed in May 2023, had not been fully implemented.

The inaction during the gap has led to a potential new global outbreak. More effort should have been made to manufacture and distribute vaccines to the affected regions, but this did not occur.

Vaccines for younger people

Bavarian Nordic, a Danish biotech firm with an approved mpox vaccine, announced on Tuesday that it would decide this week whether to increase production of its vaccine before having orders, as reported by Reuters.

On Friday, the company submitted data to the European Union's drug regulator to expand the use of its mpox vaccine to adolescents.

Paul Chaplin, CEO, stated to CNBC that approval for 12- to 17-year-olds was vital in controlling the spread of the latest virus strain.

It is crucial that our vaccine is effective for people under 18 years old, as more than 70% of cases in Africa currently affect this age group.