The World Health Organization announced today, Wednesday, that monkeypox is a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following the outbreak of the viral infection in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has spread to neighboring countries.

Monkeypox can spread through close contact. It is usually mild but can be deadly in rare cases. It causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.

Declaring the outbreak as a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern" or PHEIC - the highest level of alert from the WHO - can accelerate research, funding, public health measures, and international cooperation to contain the disease.

The outbreak began in Congo with the spread of an endemic strain known as clade I. However, the new variant, clade Ib, appears to spread more easily through routine close contact, including sexual contact. It has spread from Congo to neighboring countries, including Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, prompting the WHO to take action.

The Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated: "It is clear that coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives."

Earlier this week, Africa's highest public health authority declared a health emergency on the continent after warning of the viral infection spreading at an alarming rate.

The African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that more than 17,000 suspected cases of the Mpox virus and 517 deaths have been reported in Africa so far this year, a 160% increase in cases compared to the same period last year. Thirteen countries have reported cases.

A different form of the Mpox virus - clade IIb - spread globally in 2022, largely through sexual contact among men who have sex with men. This led the WHO to declare a public health emergency at that time, which it ended after 10 months.