US warns of deadly monkeypox variant in DR Congo
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today warned of the risk of a more deadly version of monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), calling for urgent global action.
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According to the agency, during 2023 and so far, about 19,900 cases of Clade I, the deadliest version of the virus, have been registered in 25 of the 26 provinces of the DRCongo, resulting in at least 975 deaths.
The CDC called for urgent global action to help the African country in its efforts to contain the virus, as there are fears that the deadly strain could spread to other countries, according to the Spanish news agency EFE.
The disease is a zoonosis caused by the monkeypox virus, which belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus, which includes the smallpox virus, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the WHO structure for the Americas.
Monkeypox, first detected in Africa in 1970, is characterized by a skin rash or lesions, usually concentrated on the face, palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
Thousands of people were infected with the disease in 2022 worldwide, especially gay and bisexual men, with the CDC stating that, currently, "a deadlier version of monkeypox is ravaging the DRCongo".
Person-to-person transmission can occur through direct contact with infected skin or body fluids, including sexual contact, and the agency urged people at risk to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Read Also: Death toll in rebel attack in northeastern DRCongo rises to 18 (Portuguese version)
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