MIAMI – Medical experts are warning against what is being called a global health emergency of international concern.
Dr. Steven Santiago, CMO of Care Resource, says he is glad the World Heath Organization issued its latest and highest alert amid a new Mpox outbreak in Africa leading to more than 17,000 cases and more than 500 deaths.
“It’s a very reasonable concern that this is not going to be isolated to Africa,” said Santiago.
The last time the spread of Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, was declared a global health emergency, was two summers ago when the highly contagious virus reached Europe.
“There’s every reason to believe that’s going to happen again unless we get control of the situation soon,” Santiago said.
That will happen through help and resources to Africa to mitigate the spread, which happens through physical and sexual contact with infected people, or contaminated bedding and clothing.
It starts with flu-like symptoms.
“Headache, body aches, swollen lymph nodes, back pain, fever and then, usually a few days later, a rash starts, which looks like pimples, hollowed in the middle,” said Santiago.
He says cases in the United States have been extremely low since the 2022 spread -- fewer than 60 people died among the 30,000 cases.
“For now, I don’t think there’s a need for extreme alarm,” said Santiago. “The cases that we’re seeing in the United States the last couple of years have almost all been people who have neither been completely vaccinated or they’re just not vaccinated.”
Santiago also said local health departments have vaccines in stock if and should the need arise.