NYT The World Health Organization declared a global health emergency over an outbreak that has spread to more than a dozen African countries. Mpox was declared a global health emergency on Wednesday for the second time in three years, as the World Health Organization urged action on a virus spreading rapidly through more than a dozen African countries.
The outbreak is most severe in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has reported 15,600 mpox cases and 537 deaths, according to the U.N. agency. The mpox epidemic there has already proved more deadly than one in 2022, the last time an emergency was announced.
Here is what to know about mpox, which was known as monkeypox before health officials, responding to complaints about the word, recommended its current name in 2022.
What is mpox and how is it spread?
The mpox virus is endemic to Central and Western Africa. The disease is similar to smallpox but less contagious, and the virus is spread primarily through close contact with infected animals or people, and the consumption of contaminated meat.
Mpox can also be spread through sexual contact, and there is a risk of transmission to a fetus.