Two days after the World Health Organization (WHO) triggered its highest health alert level in the face of the resurgence of the mpox disease in Africa, the virus continued to spread on Friday, August 16. Currently, the sharp resurgence of the disease in Africa is mainly due to a new strain, clade 1b, which is more transmissible and more dangerous than previous strains.
The resurgence of MPOX in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is also affecting Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, prompted the WHO to declare a public health emergency of international concern on Wednesday, the highest alarm it can sound.
China tightens checks on arrivals
Beijing announced Friday that it was tightening controls on people and goods that may have come into contact with the mpox virus. The virus transmits the viral disease of the same name – formerly known as monkeypox – which spreads from animals to humans. It is also transmitted through close physical contact with a person infected with the virus. MPOX is characterized by pustules and fever.
People from countries or regions affected by the mpox virus and “who have been exposed to cases” of illness or who “show symptoms” must “take the initiative to declare oneself to customs” upon their arrival in China, Chinese customs said in a statement.
“Customs officers will take medical measures and conduct sampling and testing in accordance with procedures.”they said. In addition, transport vehicles, containers or goods coming from affected areas “which are contaminated or likely to have been contaminated” must be disinfected, according to the statement. These measures are in place from Friday and will last for six months.
First case in Pakistan
Pakistan reported its first case on its territory on Friday, August 16. “First case of MPOX confirmed in Pakistan”announced in a statement the spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, adding that the infected person came from a Gulf country, while no cases of this new variant have been reported in this region.
The United Arab Emirates, however, has recorded 16 cases of smallpox since 2022, according to the WHO. The Emirates is particularly affected by transnational outbreaks due to its role as a hub connecting the east and west of the globe, with its long-haul carriers Emirates and Etihad Airways.
The strain of the mpox virus causing the case discovered in Pakistan was not immediately known Friday, the Pakistani health ministry said in a statement. The Pakistani patient, a 34-year-old man, is being treated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said Irshad Roghani, director of public health in the province bordering Afghanistan. “For genetic sequencing of the strain, we sent samples to Islamabad”Roghani added. The health ministry has called for increased border controls and screening at airports for symptoms of the disease among passengers returning from abroad.
Danish vaccine maker wants to approve it for adolescents
Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic, which manufactures a vaccine against MPOX, announced on Friday that it had asked the European Medicines Agency to extend the use of its serum to adolescents aged 12 to 17.
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“Interim results of the clinical study show non-inferiority of immune responses to vaccination against MPOX virus and smallpox in adolescents and a safety profile similar to that of adults”writes Bavarian Nordic in a press release.
In the United States, during the previous mpox outbreak in 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted the vaccine emergency use authorization for adolescents. The epidemic circulates partly through sexual intercourse, but the virus is also transmitted through non-sexual contact, also threatening children in whom the disease appears more dangerous.
On Thursday, Bavarian Nordic said it was ready to produce up to 10 million doses of the vaccine by 2025. The company currently has some 500,000 doses in stock.
Sweden reports first case of infection on Thursday
The day before, Sweden reported a first case of a more contagious and dangerous variant of the mpox virus, the disease it causes has killed at least 548 people since the beginning of the year in the DRC, the worst-affected country. The patient was infected during a visit to “the part of Africa where there is a major outbreak of mpox clade 1”epidemiologist Magnus Gisslen said in a statement from the agency.
According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the first case detected in Sweden “underlines the need for affected countries to fight the virus together.” In line with the measures introduced by Beijing, the head of the WHO encouraged on Friday X “all countries to strengthen surveillance, share data and work to better understand the transmission of the virus.”
The WHO said more imported cases of mpox were likely to be detected in Europe soon. It had raised its highest international alert level on Wednesday in the face of a resurgence of cases on the African continent.