In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the fight against mpox – previously known as monkeypox – is entering a new phase.
While many are anxious to contain the outbreak – the largest mpox outbreak ever recorded in the DRC with more than 4,500 cases so far this year – experts say that's not yet possible: There are no vaccines or treatments in the country right now, and even the testing capacity is severely limited. Instead, this new phase of the mpox fight involves simply getting a better understanding of what exactly is going on.
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The DRC's mpox outbreak is noteworthy not only for its size but for the changing nature of the virus.
According to Africa CDC, 11 African countries have reported mpox cases but the DRC is the clear epicenter, with a caseload three times what it was this time last year. The virus, which usually jumps from a small animal to a human and then spreads between people, causes painful lesions and sometimes fever, malaise and even death.
The concern is heightened because the type of mpox circulating, called Clade I, is 10 times deadlier than the type of mpox that caused a worldwide outbreak in 2022. About 10% of Clade I cases are fatal; DRC has confirmed 311 mpox deaths this year. In addition, early evidence suggests there is a new strain of the mpox virus in the eastern part of the DRC that's circulating among sex workers and seems to be sexually transmitted. Clade I has never been known to transmit sexually.