The World Health Organization warned that without more resources to stop the virus in Africa, it could become a global threat. The WHO stated that the monkeypox outbreak in Burundi is also being driven by the newer variant, which causes less severe symptoms, meaning that people who are infectious may not realize they are spreading it.
In a published report, the UN health agency indicated that monkeypox cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo seem to be "stabilizing," although the virus continues to increase in other areas of the country, as well as in Burundi and Uganda. The number of monkeypox infections shows an upward trend but may have stabilized in South Kivu, where a more infectious form of the virus was first identified earlier this year.
The WHO acknowledged that testing is still not widespread, making it difficult to understand exactly how the virus is spreading. Congo reported fewer than 100 laboratory-confirmed monkeypox cases last week, compared to nearly 400 in July. Burundi has reported over 200 new cases of monkeypox each week in the last two weeks, primarily among children and young adults. In Uganda, which reported 100 new cases last week, the virus is spreading mainly through sex, with the vast majority of cases in adults.
Experts noted that infections appear to be stabilizing in recent weeks, providing an opportunity for health authorities to definitively eradicate the outbreak. So far, about 50,000 people in Congo have been vaccinated against monkeypox, but an estimated 3 million vaccines are needed to completely halt the outbreak, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Africa has reported over 46,000 suspected cases of monkeypox, including 1,081 deaths to date. The WHO will convene an expert meeting on November 22 to determine whether monkeypox still constitutes an international emergency. As for the more infectious variant of monkeypox, the first case outside Africa was announced last week in Great Britain, where those affected are being treated in two hospitals in London.