UN confirms spread of mpox in Congo: what we should know
In an unexpected twist, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced confirmation of sexual transmission of the mpox virus in the Congo, marking a milestone amid the largest monkeypox outbreak in the country’s history . This fact, which has raised concerns among African scientists, could complicate efforts to contain the disease.
On Thursday night, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that a Belgian citizen who visited the country in March tested positive for MPox shortly after.
According to the WHO, this individual identified himself as a man who has sexual relations with other men and had attended several underground clubs for homosexual and bisexual men during his stay in the African country. Five of his sexual contacts subsequently tested positive for mpox, thus confirming sexual transmission of the disease.
Nigerian virologist Oyewale Tomori, a member of several WHO advisory groups, expressed concern: “This is the first definitive evidence of sexual transmission of monkeypox in Africa. “The idea that this type of transmission couldn’t be happening here has now been debunked.”
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Although mpox has been endemic in parts of central and western Africa for decades, the way it spreads has evolved. Last year, epidemics related primarily to sex among gay and bisexual men in Europe affected more than 100 countries , leading the WHO to declare it a global emergency with around 91,000 cases reported to date.
Nightclub alert
The WHO noted that in Congo there are dozens of “discreet” clubs where men have sex, and this recent mpox outbreak is described as “unusual,” highlighting the risk of the disease spreading widely among sexual networks.
This year, the mpox outbreak in Congo has infected more than 12,500 people and claimed the lives of at least 580. It is also the first time the disease has been identified in the capital of Kinshasa and the province of Kivu. South, affected by the conflict. These figures are approximately double the cases recorded in 2020, making it the largest outbreak ever recorded in the African country.
Tomori warned that the numbers could be underestimated and that sexual transmission of monkeypox could be occurring in other parts of Africa, hidden due to draconian anti-LGBTQ+ laws in several countries. Hiding the disease due to these laws could make it more difficult to slow its spread by driving at-risk people underground.
The mpox virus causes symptoms such as fever, chills, rash, and lesions on the face or genitals. Although most people recover within several weeks without needing hospitalization, the WHO warns of the significant risk of mpox spreading to other African countries and globally.
Tomori lamented the lack of mass vaccination plans for Africa, despite thousands of cases in the Congo. He stated that unlike outbreaks in Europe and North America that led to mass immunization campaigns, similar plans have not been proposed for the African continent. With the confirmation of sexual transmission in Africa, the urgency of addressing this problem becomes even more evident and critical to containing the spread of mpox.
