The World Health Organization has declared a fast-spreading mpox outbreak in Africa a global health emergency as the agency seeks to contain the spread of the potentially deadly virus.
The spread of the new strain of mpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo, "its detection in neighboring countries that had not previously reported, and the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a briefing Wednesday.
Tedros last called mpox a public health emergency of international concern in May 2022, when cases of a milder strain erupted globally. When the WHO lowered its alert level a year later, cases in Africa continued to increase.