{"id":2328496,"date":"2024-08-21T14:38:53","date_gmt":"2024-08-21T18:38:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-monkeypox-cases-explode-in-african-hot-spot\/"},"modified":"2024-08-21T14:43:48","modified_gmt":"2024-08-21T18:43:48","slug":"new-monkeypox-cases-explode-in-african-hot-spot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-monkeypox-cases-explode-in-african-hot-spot\/","title":{"rendered":"New Monkeypox Cases Explode in African Hot Spot"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnew-monkeypox-cases-explode-in-african-hot-spot%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2328496&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Congo is currently facing a\u200b significant increase in Mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) cases, reporting\u2063 over 1,000 new infections\u200c in just one week. This rise\u200c has prompted African health authorities to urgently request additional vaccines to combat the outbreak, which the\u2063 World \u2063Health Organization (WHO) has classified as a global emergency. Mpox, related to\u200d smallpox, generally\u2063 causes milder symptoms and is primarily spread through close contact.\u2063 <\/p>\n<p>Congo accounts for a staggering \u206394% of the total\u2062 18,910 reported \u200bcases across Africa this year, with the health \u200bsystem\u200b likely underestimating the situation due to limited testing. In response to \u2062the\u2064 alarming \u2062caseload and a new variant of the virus identified in the country, the WHO has emphasized the \u2062need for international\u200d support,\u200d particularly in\u200b providing vaccines. <\/p>\n<p>Despite pledges for 215,000 doses from the EU and\u2062 other donations, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lagging-data-may-push-back-bidens-booster-shot-timeline-report\/\" title=\"Lagging Data May Push Back Biden\u2019s Booster Shot Timeline: Report\">health officials warn<\/a> \u2062that Congo needs about\u200b 3 million doses to effectively \u200bcontrol the outbreak. Past global efforts have been criticized for favoring wealthier nations,\u200d and South\u2063 African\u200d President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for equitable access to diagnostics and vaccines. \u200dKaseya from the\u2063 Africa CDC stressed the urgency for international solidarity and support, particularly to avoid restrictive travel bans that could further isolate affected\u200c countries.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section>\n<p>Congo reported more than 1,000 new Mpox cases in the last week up to Tuesday as African health authorities asked for desperately needed vaccines to help fight its &ldquo;growing&rdquo; threat on the continent. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreaks in Africa a global emergency.<\/p>\n<p>Mpox belongs to the same family of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/fda-says-bird-flu-virus-found-milk-grocery-store-shelves\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">viruses<\/a> as smallpox, but causes milder symptoms like fever, chills and body aches, and mostly spreads through close skin-to-skin contact, including sexual intercourse. People with more serious cases can develop lesions on the face, hands, chest and genitals.<\/p>\n<p>While Mpox has been reported in 12 of Africa&rsquo;s 54 countries during these outbreaks, the vast central African nation of Congo has recorded by far the most cases this year. Out of a total of 18,910 cases in 2024, 94 percent &mdash; or 17,794 &mdash; were in Congo, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said, with 535 of the 541 deaths reported.<\/p>\n<p>The figures are likely an underestimate, as only about one in five suspected cases in Congo are being tested for Mpox. Africa CDC director-general Dr. Jean Kaseya said many affected African countries had limited testing and surveillance capabilities.<\/p>\n<p>Over the last seven days, Congo recorded 1,030 of the 1,405 new cases in Africa according to statistics provided late Tuesday by the Africa CDC. Only 16 percent of the cases have been confirmed by virus tests, but the infections meet the agency&rsquo;s definition of the disease.<\/p>\n<p>  <script> \t\t\t\tif( ! getCookie( 'ff_subbed' ) ) if( typeof FFADS.replace_ict !='undefined' ) if( FFADS.replace_ict ) eval( FFADS.replace_ict ); \t\t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>The rising Mpox case count in Africa and a new form of the virus identified in Congo that might be more easily transmitted led the WHO to declare it a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-covid-19-flip-flops-a-timeline\/\" title=\"Biden\u2019s COVID-19 Flip-Flops: A Timeline\">global health emergency<\/a> last week. Some hope this will encourage donors to  vaccines and other help to curtail the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/elizabeth-warren-points-blame-disease-outbreaks-like-coronavirus-trump-climate-change\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">outbreaks<\/a> in Africa before cases spread internationally as Sweden recorded a case of the new Mpox variant first seen in eastern Congo.<\/p>\n<p>The WHO has previously said its past efforts to raise donations for Mpox failed to elicit even a single donor dollar.<\/p>\n<p>Africa CDC&rsquo;s Kaseya said that his organization had received a pledge of 215,000 Mpox vaccines from the European Union and the vaccine maker, Bavarian Nordic, which were due to arrive in the next few days. The United States&rsquo; aid agency said it had donated 50,000 other doses of the same vaccine to Congo. Japan has also donated some doses to Congo.<\/p>\n<p>But Africa likely needs much more. Congo&rsquo;s health minister said his country alone needed 3 million vaccine doses to end the outbreaks there, which have spilled into at least four nearby African countries.<\/p>\n<p>A 2022 global Mpox outbreak in more than 70 countries was shut down in the space of months with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/state-supreme-court-gives-big-win-school-administered-covid-vaccine-without-parental-consent\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">vaccines<\/a> and treatments made available in rich nations, but hardly any doses reached Africa. It had been spreading largely unnoticed for years in Nigeria and elsewhere before it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/two-killed-when-blast-hits-car-in-afghan-capital\/\" title=\"Two Killed When Blast Hits Car in Afghan Capital\">sparked international concern<\/a>. Since then, the virus has continued to steadily sicken people in Congo, with few effective containment efforts.<\/p>\n<p>South African President Cyril Ramaphosa criticized the global response to the 2022 outbreak, calling it unfair as treatments and vaccines were made available to rich Western nations while Africa was given little support. In a statement, he urged the international community to guarantee &ldquo;equitable access&rdquo; to Mpox diagnostics and vaccines this time.<\/p>\n<p>Ramaphosa&rsquo;s comments evoked memories of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/ap-african-military-juntas-joining-together-attack-one-us-will-attack\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Africa&rsquo;<\/a>s anger at largely being shut out of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, Africa received doses much later than richer countries and had to pay more in some cases.<\/p>\n<p>Kaseya said Mpox was now &ldquo;growing and spreading&rdquo; while countries waited for doses. While Congo was clearly the country causing the most concern, he said it was noticeable that cases in nearby Burundi had more than doubled to 572 in a week.<\/p>\n<p>Kaseya also asked for &ldquo;solidarity&rdquo; from the international community in dealing with Mpox and specifically urged against any COVID-like travel bans being placed on African countries that would isolate them as the disease is not as easily transmissible.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t punish Africa,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We need you to provide appropriate support. This vaccine is expensive.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-style: italic;\">The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> <label>* Name<\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> <\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> <label>* <\/label> <br \/> <input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> <\/div>\n<p> <label>* Message<\/label> <br \/> <textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea>  <\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> <input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\">  <\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\">  <\/div>\n<style> \t\t\t \t\t\t.insticator-unit.type-commenting{margin: 0 10px 25px 10px}@media screen and (max-width:1060px){#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{margin: 0 auto 25px auto !important;}}#div-insticator-ad-cmt-1, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-2, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-3, #div-insticator-ad-cmt-4{height: 280px !important; width: 336px !important} \t\t<\/style>\n<div class=\"insticator-unit type-commenting\">\n<div class=\"insticator-ads\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-1\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-2\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<div class=\"insticator-ads additional\">   <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\t\t\tif ( ! getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tInsticator.ad.loadAd(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\"); \t\t\t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-3\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"div-insticator-ad-cmt-4\").remove() \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t<\/script> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Congo has reported over 1,000 new cases of Mpox in the week leading up to Tuesday, prompting African health officials to urgently request vaccines to combat this escalating threat on the continent. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the outbreaks in Africa as a global emergency. Mpox is related to smallpox but typically results in milder symptoms such as fever, chills, and body aches; it primarily spreads through close skin-to-skin contact, including sexual activity. Severe cases can lead to lesions on various parts of the body including the face and genitals. While Mpox has been identified in 12 out of Africa&#8217;s 54 countries during these outbreaks, Congo has seen by far the highest number of cases this year. According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), out of a total of 18,910 cases reported in 2024, approximately 94 percent\u201417,794\u2014were from Congo along with most deaths recorded there. These numbers are likely underreported since only about one-fifth of suspected cases are being tested for Mpox in Congo. Dr. Jean Kaseya from Africa CDC noted that many affected countries have limited testing and surveillance resources.<\/p>\n<p>In just seven days, Congo accounted for 1,030 out of a total of 1,405 new African cases according to late Tuesday statistics from Africa CDC. Only about 16 percent have been confirmed through virus testing; however, these infections still fit the agency&#8217;s definition for Mpox.<\/p>\n<p>The increase in Mpox infections across Africa and a newly identified variant potentially more transmissible led WHO last week to declare it a global health emergency. There is hope that this declaration will motivate donors to provide vaccines and other assistance needed to control outbreaks before they spread globally; Sweden recently reported a case involving this new variant first detected in eastern Congo.<\/p>\n<p>The WHO previously struggled with fundraising efforts for Mpox without receiving any donations at all. Dr. Kaseya mentioned that his organization had secured a commitment for 215,000 doses from both the European Union and Bavarian Nordic\u2014the vaccine manufacturer\u2014with deliveries expected soon. Additionally, U.S.-based aid agencies donated another 50,000 doses while Japan also contributed some doses.<\/p>\n<p>However, experts believe much more is required: Congo\u2019s health minister stated that his country alone needs three million vaccine doses due to ongoing outbreaks affecting at least four neighboring nations.<\/p>\n<p>A previous global outbreak in over seventy countries was effectively contained within months thanks largely due availability treatments and vaccines primarily accessible only by wealthier nations\u2014leaving little support for African countries where it had been spreading unnoticed prior.<\/p>\n<p>South African President Cyril Ramaphosa criticized how inequitable responses were during past crises like COVID-19 when richer nations received timely access while poorer regions lagged behind significantly regarding vaccine distribution\u2014a sentiment echoed now regarding equitable access concerning diagnostics or vaccinations against Mpox specifically.<\/p>\n<p>Dr.Kaseya emphasized an urgent need for international solidarity against rising infection rates while urging against imposing travel bans similar those seen during COVID-19 which would further isolate affected regions given how less easily transmissible this disease appears compared others like COVID-19 itself stating \u201cDon\u2019t punish Africa\u2026we need appropriate support.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2328497,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/4af1d085934542a9a9f46151ef185898-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[5716,27436,6358],"class_list":["post-2328496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-africa","tag-monkeypox","tag-outbreak"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/4af1d085934542a9a9f46151ef185898-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2328496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2328496"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2328496\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2328497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2328496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2328496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2328496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}