Mutant Mpox strain declared global threat after spread across 13 countries - and Europe may be next

MUTANT mpox has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation after its rapid spread to 13 countries. Scientists at the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) sounded the alarm this week as the new virus spreads rapidly across the continent. Since the start of 2024, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has seen over 13,700 cases and 450 deaths. The deadlier, more aggressive strain of the virus, formerly known as monkeypox, has now spread across Africa to 12 other countries including Burundi, the Central African Republic (CAR), Kenya, and Rwanda. The DRC has been battling with its variant, called “clade 1a”, for decades. This version is more deadly, with a fatality rate of around five per cent in adults and 10 per cent in children, compared to three per cent for its predecessor. Labelling the outbreak as a global health emergency will push governments to act faster and potentially boost vital medical supplies and aid