{"id":126438,"date":"2024-08-16T19:47:57","date_gmt":"2024-08-16T14:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=126438"},"modified":"2024-08-19T12:58:12","modified_gmt":"2024-08-19T07:28:12","slug":"mpox-declared-as-public-health-emergency","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/mpox-declared-as-public-health-emergency","title":{"rendered":"Mpox Declared as Public Health Emergency of International Concern"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>The International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared <\/span><b>Mpox as a \u201cPublic Health Emergency of International Concern\u201d (PHEIC)\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 2024 determination of a PHEIC for mpox<\/span><b> is the second in two years<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mpox was <\/span><b>first declared a PHEIC in july 2022 as it spread rapidly via sexual contact <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">across multiple countries but was declared over in May 2023 after there had been a sustained decline in global cases<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>WHO has released US$ 1.45 million from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to support surveillance, preparedness and response activities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Sweden also reported its first case of Mpox.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>The Present Outbreak<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Clade 1b:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A <\/span><b>new strain of the Mpox virus\u00a0 by the name of Clade1b<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is behind the outbreak which is rapidly <\/span><b>spreading in eastern DRC<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and in several neighbouring countries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Reported cases:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The number of cases reported till August 2024 has already surpassed last year&#8217;s total cases with <\/span><b>more than 15, 600 cases and 537 deaths.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Infection Spread<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The virulent strain Clade1b spread r<\/span><b>apidly to 16 countries and six new countries were affected in 10 days.\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More than <\/span><b>100 laboratory-confirmed cases of clade 1b have been reported in four countries (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) neighbouring the DRC last month.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>About Mpox<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-126419 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/167-66bf567329a00.webp\" alt=\"Mpox\" width=\"400\" height=\"445\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/167-66bf567329a00.webp 662w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/167-66bf567329a00-269x300.webp 269w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mpox, an<\/span><b> infectious zoonotic disease<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (disease that is transmitted between humans and animals) is one of the\u00a0 <\/span><b>species of pox virus<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (such as smallpox and cowpox) characterised by a <\/span><b>rash followed by bumps that appear on the skin.\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pox viruses are oval shaped and have <\/span><b>double-strand DNA<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Strains: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are two strains of mpox ie.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Clade I:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It is the dominant strain with mortality rate between 3-6%, mostly among young children and immunocompromised individuals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Clade II:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It is far less dangerous with a case fatality rate of about 0.1 per cent.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Causative agent: An orthopoxvirus.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Transfer Agent: Animals like squirrels, dormice <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and certain types of <\/span><b>monkeys and rats<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> carry the virus and transmit <\/span><b>through bites, scratches or bush meat preparation.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Detection:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Mpox was first detected in humans in <\/span><b>1970.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Endemic: It is endemic to countries in central and west Africa with tropical climates <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and rainforests.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Transmission: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The\u00a0 virus is transmitted through <\/span><b>direct contact with bodily fluids or skin lesions <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as well as<\/span><b> indirect contact with lesion materials like contact with contaminated bedding or clothing, utensils etc <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">although human-to-human transmission is limited<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mpox <\/span><b>can also be spread through respiratory droplets<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> but requires direct, prolonged contact with someone with an active rash.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Incubation Period: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mpox has a longer incubation period ranging between<\/span><b> five to up to 21 days<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Symptoms: It<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> starts as <\/span><b>headache and backache, sore muscles and lack of energy, fever, and swollen lymph node<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s before graduating to a<\/span><b> Rash, which develops into raised spots before turning into fluid-filled blisters, which ultimately turn into scabs and fall off.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Treatment: Th<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ere is currently no medication for the mpox virus itself. However, the <\/span><b>antiviral drugs cidofovir, brincidofovir and tecovirimat may be used.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Vaccines: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two vaccines currently in use for small pox and\u00a0 Mpox namely, (<\/span><b>JYNNEOS vaccine and ACAM2000) are recommended by WHO\u2019s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and are also approved by WHO-listed national regulatory authorities, as well as by individual countries including Nigeria and the DRC.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Response:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> WHO guidelines for health authorities response to the crisis:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I<\/span><b>nvestigations: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Non-endemic countries that have identified cases should undergo public health investigations including <\/span><b>contact tracing, lab investigation, clinical management and isolation with supportive care.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Genomic Sequencing: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To identify the particular strain of the virus infecting individuals. Scientists are working to determine if the recent infections in Europe are related to strains in Africa.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Vaccination:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Deploy vaccines to manage close contacts, such as health workers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Robust surveillance, contact tracing and infection prevention and control: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strong surveillance and diagnostic systems, partnered with swift information-sharing, to ensure rapid reporting and communication of the outbreak.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+CSE+Books\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.9998%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt; color: #000000;\"><b>Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A PHEIC is defined as, <\/span><b>an extraordinary event which has the potential to constitute a public health risk to other States<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through the international spread of disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response by <\/span><b>The International Health Regulations (IHR)<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>This definition implies a situation that is:<\/b><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Serious, sudden, unusual or unexpected<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">Carries implications for public health beyond the affected State\u2019s national border<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">may require immediate international action.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.9307%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 137.833%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Must Read<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.5357%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/editorial-analysis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPSC Daily Editorials<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 87.2976%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/daily-current-affairs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UPSC Daily Current Affairs<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.5357%; 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