Arfin Negar
Leveraging lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, global health authorities are confidently containing the spread of Mpox, asserting that the virus poses a manageable threat.
The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized that proactive measures, heightened surveillance, and international cooperation have been instrumental in preventing Mpox from escalating into a global crisis akin to Covid-19.
Hans Kluge, WHO’s Regional Director for Europe, underscored this sentiment during a UN media briefing on Tuesday, dismissing fears of Mpox becoming the "new Covid."
He highlighted that the existing medical infrastructure and public health strategies are effectively controlling outbreaks, even as new cases emerge across different continents.
The announcement came as Kluge outright rejected comparisons between Mpox and the coronavirus pandemic, stressing that the risk of the Mpox virus to the general population is low.
Singapore has recorded 32 cases in 2023, with 20 locally transmitted cases, and 12 more cases in 2024.
However, experts from The Straits Times do not foresee Mpox becoming a major issue there.
Mpox, unlike Covid-19, is significantly different and is currently rampant in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where it has infected 16,700 people and killed 570 in 2024.
The virus has also spread to neighboring African countries like Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya.
On August 15, 2024, Sweden reported the first case of the Mpox Clade 1 variant, which is believed to be driving the latest outbreak outside the African continent.
Additionally, Pakistan became the first Asian country to report an Mpox case on August 16, 2024.
Pakistan’s health ministry confirmed the case in a patient who had returned from a Gulf country but has not yet identified the virus strain, according to Reuters.
In response to Pakistan’s positive report, the Indian government has directed airport, port, and border authorities to remain vigilant amid the global rise in Mpox cases.
This directive follows meetings held by the Union Health Ministry with experts to address concerns over the new virus, according to India Today.
On August 18, Bangladesh issued a high alert to implement precautionary measures to prevent the entry of Mpox into the country.
Daud Adnan, Deputy Director of the Department of Hospitals and Clinics at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), reassured the public that no case of Mpox has been detected in Bangladesh thus far.
“We are committed to ensuring that no one enters the country with Mpox,” Adnan stated, emphasizing the government's determination to prevent the virus's entry.
He also stressed the importance of vigilance due to the infectious nature of Mpox.
Proactive measures have been implemented at airports, river routes, and other entry points, and guidelines have been issued to ensure necessary precautions.
The DGHS has advised the public to contact helplines 16263 or 10655 for assistance if needed.
Health authorities also urged individuals to seek immediate medical attention if they experience symptoms or have been in contact with an infected person, particularly within 21 days of traveling to an affected country.
Mpox is very different from Covid-19, which caused substantial disruptions for more than two years.
While both can be transmitted through close contact, the similarities end there.
The virus that causes Covid-19 spreads far more easily because it can remain suspended in the air.
“There is a less explosive spread with Mpox, and it’s potentially containable, unlike Covid-19,” said Professor Hsu Li Yang, an infectious diseases expert at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH).
However, he cautioned that the Mpox virus can remain active on surfaces for at least two weeks, reports The Straits Times.
While WHO states that Mpox can be spread by talking face-to-face with an infected person or even breathing near them, the vast majority of transmission is through sexual or close household contact.
This makes Mpox similar to the sexually-transmitted human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
HIV also emerged from Africa, and because it was left unchecked in the early years, today, there are more than 40 million people worldwide with this disease.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral infection that causes pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms such as pain, swollen lymph nodes, and fever.
While usually mild, it can be fatal. The United Nations health agency recently declared Mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years.
Mpox transmits through close physical contact, including sexual contact, but unlike previous global pandemics such as Covid-19, there is no evidence it spreads easily through the air.
The virus is classified into two distinct viral strains, or clades: Clade I, endemic to Central Africa, is known to cause more severe illness and death, with some outbreaks killing up to 10% of those infected.
Clade II, endemic to West Africa, caused the global Mpox outbreak in 2022. Infections from Clade II are typically less severe, with a survival rate of more than 99.9%, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Today, we’re seeing about 100 new Mpox Clade II cases in the European Region every month,” Kluge said.
However, the current state of alert due to Clade I gives Europe the opportunity to refocus on Clade II, he added.
Health authorities need to be on alert and flexible in case there are new, more transmissible clades or ones that change their transmission route, but there are no recommendations for people to wear masks, said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic.
At the center of the monkeypox virus is a core nucleoprotein that contains the DNA genome, surrounded by an outer envelope covered with surface tubules.
This virus, typically found near rainforests in Central and West Africa, causes disease in humans and monkeys, although its natural hosts are rodents.
“We can, and must, tackle Mpox together — across regions and continents,” Kluge emphasized during the briefing. “So will we choose to put the systems in place to control and eliminate Mpox globally? Or will we enter another cycle of panic and neglect? How we respond now and in the years to come will prove a critical test for Europe and the world,” he added.
Arfin Negar is the acting editor of Bangladesh Business News (BBN).