Monkeypox outbreak: WHO calls emergency meeting to assess global concern | All you need to know

To assess whether the spread of the deadly mpox virus should be cause for global concern, WHO called an emergency meeting.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday called an emergency meeting to discuss the outbreak of monkeypox (Mpox) amid the recent surge in cases from Congo. The meeting has been called to discuss whether the spread of the deadly virus is a cause for global concern or not.

Vials of single doses of the Jynneos vaccine for monkeypox are seen from a cooler at a vaccinations site (AP Photo/Jeenah Moon, File)(AP)

Sharing a post on X, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that a committee of independent experts will meet as soon as possible to look into the issue.

"In light of the spread of #mpox outside #DRC, and the potential for further international spread within and outside Africa, I have decided to convene an Emergency Committee under the International Health Regulations to advise me on whether the outbreak represents a public health emergency of international concern," the WHO chief stated.

Monkeypox outbreak: All you need to know

There has been a surge in the number of cases of mpox in the Central African nation Congo since last September. A strain of the virus has now been detected in its neighbouring countries.

According to Al Jazeera, the Democratic Republic of Congo has seen over 27,000 cases of the deadly mpox virus, and recorded over 1100 deaths, most of them being children.

The mpox has been detected in 10 African nations this year, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said last week. Citing the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Al Jazeera reported that over 96 per cent of the cases are located in Congo.

The WHO declared mpox, previously known as monkeypox, a global emergency in 2022 after it spread to more than 70 countries. The virus is mostly prevalent among youths, the data shows.

The cases of the deadly mpox virus are up 160 per cent this year, with deaths surging by 19 per cent. As per Al Jazeera, 70 per cent of the total cases and 85 percent of the total deaths are recorded in children aged below 15.

The primary symptoms of the virus are fever, chills, respiratory problems (nasal congestion, cough), swollen lymph nodes and muscle pain.

(With inputs from ANI)