News release

From:

On 14th of August 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) due to an increase in the number of Mpox cases in Africa. Unlike 2022, when a PHEIC was declared for Mpox once before, the current outbreak in Africa appears to be driven by clade I of the virus, rather than clade II as in 2022. In addition, a new sub-variant, clade Ib, has been observed for the first time in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo and is now also found in the neighbouring countries of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

Our colleagues at the German Science Media Centre are hosting an online briefing for international journalists to help answer questions about the Mpox situation, including:

• What are the exact dynamics of infection in affected countries?
• What is known about the clade-specific differences in disease severity, transmission modes, reproductive numbers and risk groups?
• What do we know about the genome of the new clade Ib and what conclusions can researchers draw from this?
• Can the known epidemiological data and research on the virus itself be used to develop a good strategy for controlling Mpox in the affected countries?
• What response from the international community is possible and important with the PHEIC?
• Which diagnostics, therapies and vaccines are suitable and available for which populations?

Speakers:

• Prof. Marion Koopmans, Head of the Viroscience Department and Director of the Pandemic and Disaster Centre, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• Prof. Placide Mbala Kingebeni, Head of the Epidemiology and Global Health Division and Director of the Clinical Research Center at the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB), Kinshasa-Gombe, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
• Prof. Dimie Ogoina, Professor for infectious diseases, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Nigeria