WHO declares mpox a global health emergency

On Aug. 14, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the mpox outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African countries are a public health emergency of international concern . It’s the second time in 2 years that the agency has declared mpox a global health emergency. This year alone, officials have recorded more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths in Congo—the country most affected by the mpox virus. Meanwhile, nearby countries, including Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, and Uganda, have reported mpox cases for the first time. “It’s clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a media briefing on Aug. 14. What is mpox? Mpox is caused by a DNA virus called mpox that’s closely related to the virus that causes smallpox. Scientists suspect that rodents may be the primary reservoirs of