Mpox
Mpox (previously called monkeypox) is a rare infectious disease caused by the mpox virus, which is related to smallpox and is endemic in parts of Central and West Africa.
In August 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) due to the outbreak of clade 1b in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and several other African countries. Clade 1b is a more severe disease than clade 2, which was associated with the original outbreak that spread around the world in 2022.
Clade 2 has been found in West African nations such as Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Liberia. It is still occurring in many countries around the world, including Australia. After the initial outbreak in Australia was largely brought under control, numbers are again starting to rise. 99.9% of cases infected with this clade survive.
Clade 1b began in the DRC in late 2023. Most cases are still within the DRC, but smaller numbers of cases have been found in the Central African Republic, Gabon, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. Cases have been noted in 12 African countries since the beginning of 2024. The death rate is about 2.8%.
The primary reservoir for mpox is thought to be rodents, with humans and monkeys acting as secondary or "spillover" hosts. Individuals travelling in endemic countries can be infected by eating undercooked bushmeat (wild game) or handling infected animals.