Mpox no longer represents a global public health emergency, the World Health Organisation said Friday, following a sustained decline in cases and deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other affected countries.
“Of course, lifting the emergency declaration does not mean the threat is over, nor that our response will stop,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference after deciding to lift the UN health agency’s top emergency status, put in place more than a year ago.
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What is a public health emergency?
A “public health emergency of international concern” or PHEIC is WHO’s highest form of alert. It is announced when diseases are spreading in new or unusual ways and is aimed at galvanizing international cooperation and funding to tackle an outbreak.
Symptoms of mpox
Symptoms of the disease usually begin within a week of exposure; however, they can also start 1–21 days later, WHO has said.
The authority added that symptoms last 2–4 weeks but may last longer in someone with a weakened immune system.
Here are some common symptoms:
– A rash beginning as a flat sore which later develops into a blister filled with liquid which can be itchy or painful
– Fever
– Sore throat
– Headache
– Muscle aches
– Back pain
– Low energy
– Swollen lymph nodes
Transmission
Mpox can be transmitted among people through direct contact with infectious skin or lesions. This includes talking, breathing, touching, and intimacy. Respiratory droplets or short-range aerosols from close contact can also transmit the disease.
It can also be contracted from contaminated objects such as clothing or linens, through sharps injuries in health care, or in community settings such as tattoo parlors.
Prevention
Mpox infection can be prevented by receiving a vaccine. The vaccine should be given within 4 days of contact with someone who has mpox (or within up to 14 days if there are no symptoms).
During an outbreak, those at higher risk of contracting the disease, such as healthcare workers, are recommended to get vaccinated first, the WHO says.
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