Health authorities across Europe are on high alert as a deadly strain of mpox has claimed hundreds of lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The World Health Organisation is calling for increased vaccine production, while China plans to screen travellers for the disease.
France is implementing new recommendations for those travelling to high-risk areas, as mpox can be transmitted from animals to humans and through human-to-human contact, causing fever, muscle aches, and skin lesions.
The WHO has declared the spread of the new Clade 1b strain an international public health emergency, prompting countries with vaccine stockpiles to donate to affected regions. Danish drugmaker Bavarian Nordic has committed to producing up to 10 million doses of its mpox vaccine.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has stated the overall risk in Europe is low but stressed the importance of effective surveillance and contact tracing. The virus has already spread to Africa and beyond, with cases reported in Sweden and Pakistan.
As countries race to contain the outbreak, the interconnected nature of our world highlights the importance of global cooperation and vaccination efforts.