The World Health Organization has declared a fast-spreading mpox outbreak in Africa a global health emergency as the agency seeks to contain the spread of the potentially deadly virus.
The spread of the new strain of mpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo, ¡°its detection in neighboring countries that had not previously reported, and the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying,¡± WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a briefing Wednesday.
Tedros last called mpox a public health emergency of international concern in May 2022, when cases of a milder strain erupted globally. When the WHO lowered its alert level a year later, cases in Africa continued to increase.
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