Mpox outbreak: What you need to know

NEW YORK - The World Health Organization has declared the ongoing mpox outbreak that originated in Africa and was recently detected in Sweden as a global emergency, requiring urgent action to curb the virus' transmission.

In an interview with the Associated Press, health experts in Canada say that it is only a matter of time before the infection appears in North America.

"It was only a matter of time," said Dr. Fahad Razak, an internal medicine specialist and epidemiologist at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. "Canada being a major port of travel globally — we're one of the most travelled high-income countries in the world... I think we should expect that cases will occur here."

The World Health Organization's declaration on Wednesday that mpox is a public health emergency of international concern was partly based on the surge of clade I in Congo and its appearance in nearby Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda — four countries that had not had mpox of any kind before.

There are two kinds, or clades, of mpox, which is related to smallpox and endemic to central and west Africa. Clade 1 is more severe and can kill up to 10% of people infected. Clade 2 triggered the 2022 outbreak; more than 99% of people infected survived.

Earlier this year, there was an outbreak of cases of mpox Clade 2 cases in New York City, with 256 infections reported from October 2023 through April 15, 2024.

What is mpox?

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that can be spread between people or between people and certain animals.

Symptoms of a mpox infection include a rash that may be located on the hands, feet, chest, face or mouth or near the genitals. The rash goes through several stages, including scabs, before healing. Other symptoms can include fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, headache and respiratory symptoms like sore throat and nasal congestion. 

How can you prevent mpox infection?

The best way to prevent yourself from getting mpox is to get vaccinated. The New York City Health Department recommends people get vaccinated against mpox if you may have been exposed or could be at risk of exposure in the future. 

For more information about vaccination, including who is eligible and recommendations, visit the NYC Health website here. 

NYC health officials recommend vaccination for those who are at higher risk for infection, specifically, people who have sex with men and identify as male, trans, nonbinary, genderqueer or gender non-conforming.

The vaccine is also recommended for anyone who considers themselves to be at risk for mpox through sex or other intimate contact now or in the future, or if you have recently been in close contact with someone you think has mpox. 

What to do if you have mpox symptoms

If you begin experiencing mpox symptoms, officials say you should speak to a health care provider immediately, even is the symptoms are mild. 

Anyone infected with mpox is advised not to have sex or other physical contact with others until all sores have healed and a new layer of skin has formed. Experts also recommend washing your hands, avoiding contact with pets, and isolating yourself at home and avoiding all contact with others if your symptoms include fever, chills or respiratory symptoms. 

What treatments are available?

There is no specific treatment approved fro mpox. Most people get better on their own without treatment. 

However, antivirals for smallpox may be used to treat mpox, like the drug tecovirimat (TPOXX), which has been used to treat mpox through expanded access since the 2022 outbreak. This expanded use of TPOXX (also called compassionate use) is for people with severe disease or who are likely to develop severe disease.

Speak to your health provider to find out if you are eligible for antiviral treatment. 

How different is mpox from COVID-19?

Mpox spreads very slowly unlike the coronavirus. Shortly after the coronavirus was identified in China, the number of cases jumped exponentially from several hundred to several thousand; in a single week in January, the case count increased more than tenfold.

By March 2020, when WHO described COVID-19 as a pandemic, there were more than 126,000 infections and 4,600 deaths — about three months after the coronavirus was first identified.

In contrast, it's taken since 2022 for mpox cases to hit nearly 100,000 infections globally, with about 200 deaths, according to WHO.

There are vaccines and treatments available for mpox unlike in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We have what we need to stop mpox," said Dr. Chris Beyrer, director of Duke University's Global Health Institute. "This is not the same situation we faced during COVID when there was no vaccine and no antivirals."

Is mpox going to trigger another pandemic?

That seems highly unlikely. Pandemics, including the most recent ones of swine flu and COVID-19, are typically sparked by airborne viruses that spread quickly, including by people who may not be showing symptoms.

Mpox, also known as monkeypox, is spread primarily through close skin-to-skin contact with infected people or their soiled clothes or bedsheets. It often causes visible skin lesions that could make people less likely to be in close contact with others.

To stay safe, experts advise avoiding close physical contact with someone who has lesions resembling mpox, not sharing their utensils, clothing or bedsheets and maintaining good hygiene like regular hand-washing.

On Friday, Europe's Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said that more imported cases of mpox from Africa were "highly likely," but the chances of local outbreaks in Europe were very low.

Scientists say the risk to the general population in countries without ongoing mpox outbreaks is low.

With the Associated Press.