The World Health Organization (WHO) has made it clear: mpox is not the next COVID-19. During a media briefing on Tuesday, WHO’s European director, Hans Kluge, reassured the public about the current outbreak's management.
According to Kluge, the spread of mpox is controllable due to existing knowledge about the virus and the strategies needed to mitigate its transmission. "We know how to control mpox, and, in the European region, the steps needed to eliminate its transmission altogether," he stated.
While the WHO declared a health emergency related to mpox, Kluge emphasized the need for targeted action rather than widespread panic. The initial declaration was prompted by the emergence of the Clade 1b strain, particularly dangerous and prevalent in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
When it came to the general risk, Kluge was reassuring: "The risk to the general population is low." Instead of lockdowns or blanket measures, appropriate containment strategies, focusing on the most affected areas and communities, are underway.
The WHO official noted, "Are we going to go in lockdown... like it’s another COVID-19? The answer is clearly: 'no.'" This is due to the nature of transmission being largely sexual, alongside occasional droplet spread during close contact.
The path of transmission remains uncertain, requiring additional investigation. Tarik Jasarevic, from the WHO, explained the approach of offering vaccines primarily to at-risk groups rather than recommending mass vaccination.
On August 14, the WHO declared another health emergency concerning mpox, concerned about Clade 1b, which has been spreading rapidly. Countries neighboring the DRC are also seeing rising numbers of cases.
The outbreak isn't just limited to this clade, as Kluge pointed out, stating the need for rigorous contact tracing and behavior change to combat mpox effectively. He reiterated how intensive action with affected communities helped contain previous outbreaks.
The WHO has identified two main clades of mpox: the deadly Clade 1 and the less aggressive Clade 2. Clade 1b is now seen as the most significant threat, considered highly transmissible between humans, unlike its predecessor.
Catherine Smallwood, the WHO's area manager for emergency operations, referenced the unique characteristics of Clade 1b, clarifying, “We have not detected zoonotic transmission.” This type of human-to-human transmission poses different challenges for health authorities.
The forthcoming steps also revolve around vaccination strategies. The available vaccines, initially created for smallpox, are effective against mpox, including MVA-BN and LC16, among others.
