The World Health Organization (WHO) held an emergency meeting due to the monkeypox (mpox) virus, which is spreading rapidly in Africa and causing the number of cases to increase.
The International Health Regulations Emergency Committee met as the virus reached dangerous proportions and deliberated on whether to declare an international emergency.
MORE THAN 14 THOUSAND CASES
In a statement made by the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), a public health emergency was declared.
According to the WHO statement, more than 14 thousand cases have been reported so far and 524 people have died. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the number of mpox cases reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo for many years has increased significantly over the past year, and cases reported since the beginning of this year have exceeded last year's total.
The fact that cases of class 1b mpox have been detected and that these cases seem to be spread through sexual networks makes the situation even more worrying.
The current outbreak is said to be more worrying than previous ones as it is associated with a new variant of the virus.
Experts warn that this is the most dangerous variant they have ever seen.
What is the monkeypox virus and how does it spread?
The monkeypox virus was initially only transmitted from animal to human. But now it can also spread from human to human.
The virus is more common in remote villages in tropical rainforests in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths occur in these regions every year. Children under 15 are most affected by the virus.
