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In light of the recent Mpox outbreak in Western and Central Africa, we want to assure you that your safety is our top priority. Here’s a message from our CEO Morven Roberts regarding the situation.
“As many of you will be aware the WHO has now declared that the upsurge of Mpox (previously known as monkeypox) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (2005).
This means that there is international, coordinated monitoring of the disease, including investigation into the nature of the clade, changes in transmission patterns, changes in severity, and other factors.
No restrictions on travel or meetings have been advised at this time. Given the experience of the prior Mpox PHEIC this is not anticipated to change, but the GACD staff team will monitor the situation closely.
GACD Annual Scientific Meeting delegates should, however, be aware that a small number of cases have been detected in Rwanda. The Rwandan government has been proactively monitoring for the virus due to the growing outbreak in DRC and has established protocols to raise people’s awareness and reduce risks of further transmission.
Transmission of the virus is through close physical contact and the current strain is observed as spreading through sexual networks. GACD Annual Scientific Meeting delegates are advised to be aware of this and observe general personal precautions.
If you intend to travel more widely in the region after the Annual Scientific Meeting please acquaint yourself with the latest information on Mpox and ensure you have valid travel and medical insurance.”
Further information regarding Mpox
Mpox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus, a species of the genus Orthopoxvirus. Two different clades exist: clade I and clade II. In 2022–2023 a global outbreak of Mpox was caused by a strain known as clade IIb. That outbreak was declared a public health emergency of international concern in July 2022 and ended May 2023. Travel restrictions were not imposed during that PHEIC.
Common symptoms of Mpox are a skin rash or mucosal lesions which can last 2–4 weeks accompanied by fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, low energy, and swollen lymph nodes. In some people secondary infection and severe complications like sepsis can occur, which can be fatal.
Mpox can be transmitted to humans through close physical contact with someone who is infectious, with contaminated materials, or with infected animals. Confirmation of Mpox is done by testing skin lesion material by PCR.
In the DRC outbreaks have been reported for decades, and the number of cases reported annually has been increasing steadily. However, DRC has been experiencing a severe outbreak of Mpox since the beginning of 2024 with more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths reported. This is related to the emergence and rapid spread of a new virus strain in DRC, clade 1b, which appears to be spreading mainly through sexual networks.
This clade has also been detected in countries neighbouring the DRC. Approximately 100 confirmed cases have been reported in four countries that have not reported before: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.