India on Mpox Alert: Could It Cause a COVID-19-Like Situation?
All You Need to Know About the Virus
Newsreel Asia Insight #315
August 21, 2024
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, a public health emergency of international concern. India, too, has instructed international airports and ports to monitor passengers arriving particularly from Bangladesh and Pakistan for symptoms of mpox. Here’s what you need to know about the virus, and why it’s not like COVID-19.
The WHO declaration has come in response to escalating cases of mpox, specifically the clade 1b strain, primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other parts of Africa. There are no reported cases of the virus in India, but mpox cases are spreading internationally, including detected symptoms among travellers at borders and airports in countries adjacent to Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Clade I variant, endemic to Central Africa, causes severe illness and death, with some outbreaks resulting in mortality rates up to 10%, though recent ones show lower death rates, as per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, noted CNBC. Conversely, Clade II variant, endemic to West Africa, sparked the global mpox outbreak in 2022 and generally causes milder infections, with over 99.9% of individuals surviving.
In Delhi, at least three hospitals – Ram Manohar Lohia, Safdarjung and Lady Hardinge – have been designated as key centres for quarantine and treatment, according to Business Standard. These hospitals are part of a broader national preparedness plan, which includes designating nodal centers across all states and disseminating information to the public to ensure a swift and coordinated response to any potential outbreak.
State governments have been asked to identify designated hospitals to ensure preparedness.
Should we expect a situation similar to what we experienced at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic? No. Hans Kluge, WHO’s European director, has clarified that mpox is not the new COVID.
“We know how to control mpox,” he told a media briefing in Geneva, Switzerland, according to Al Jazeera, which also quoted WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic as saying that the WHO was not recommending the use of masks or mass vaccination.
Vaccines are recommended only in outbreak settings for the groups who are most at risk, according to the spokesperson.
Asked about the potential for mpox lockdowns, Anne Rimoin, Ph.D., professor of epidemiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, Fielding School of Public Health, told Today.com: “The answer is no. Mpox is not new, like COVID. This is a known virus with tools already available to be able to control it, including vaccines. ... We’ve already brought a global outbreak of (mpox) under control in 2022.”
Mpox is a “zoonotic” disease, meaning it can transfer from animals to humans. It is caused by the monkeypox virus, a member of the orthopoxvirus family. The orthopoxvirus family is a group of viruses that includes smallpox. These viruses share similar genetic structures and cause similar diseases, usually involving skin rashes and flu-like symptoms. The family is known for its ability to cause significant outbreaks and public health concerns.
The virus primarily circulates in central and west African regions, often near tropical rainforests where animal carriers like squirrels, Gambian pouched rats, dormice and various monkey species are common. Human infections can occur through direct contact with these animals or by consuming contaminated “bushmeat.”
Bushmeat refers to the meat of wild animals, typically taken from terrestrial mammals hunted for human consumption primarily in tropical and subtropical regions. It includes a variety of animals such as monkeys, bats, antelopes and rodents. Bushmeat is significant in certain cultures and regions, particularly in parts of Africa, Southeast Asia and the Amazon basin, where it is often considered a crucial source of protein and a part of traditional culinary practices.
Human-to-human transmission of mpox is also possible via contact with bodily fluids, lesions or respiratory droplets.
Common symptoms of mpox include fever, extensive rash and swollen lymph nodes, progressing to severe stages featuring intense headaches, back pain, muscle aches and significant lethargy. Diagnosis is typically confirmed through direct samples from rashes or lesions. However, WHO notes that antigen and antibody detection methods are not ideal for diagnosis as they do not specifically identify mpox but rather detect all orthopoxviruses.
WHO has recommended preventive strategies, including education, use of personal protective equipment and avoidance of contact with infected individuals or contaminated materials.
Unlike smallpox, which was eradicated in 1980 and for which vaccines also provide some protection against mpox, the cessation of routine smallpox vaccination has increased susceptibility to mpox. The current vaccines against mpox are available but in limited quantities.
Historically, the disease has been known since the 1970s when it was first identified in scientific circles through its association with bushmeat in Central Africa. Effective prevention strategies may include addressing deforestation and climate impacts, which influence bushmeat hunting activities, rather than solely relying on bans or behaviour change campaigns.
