Photo/Illutration Red Cross officials spread awareness about mpox in the Don Bosco refugee camp in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Aug. 22, 2023. (AP Photo)

In response to the rapid spread of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, in Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency in mid-August.

In Africa this year, more than 18,000 cases of infection have been reported, with fatal ones exceeding 600.

Infection with mpox causes fever and swollen lymph nodes, followed by a distinctive rash that develops into pus-filled blisters.

This is the second health emergency declaration by the WHO over the spread of mpox, following one that was issued in response to the 2022 outbreak, but this situation is different.

Whereas the primary route of infection at that time was sexual intercourse between men, this time, there is a notable increase in infections among children and women, with a higher mortality rate.

There is an urgent need for a coordinated international response to suppress the outbreak.

The current outbreak has been fueled by a different clade, or lineage, of the virus than the one that caused the 2022 outbreak.

In addition, a new branch or version of the virus that has diverged from the main lineage through mutations or adaptations has been found, and infections with this type of the virus have been reported in Sweden and Thailand.

In Japan, more than 200 infections with mpox have been confirmed since 2022, but this new virus has not yet been found.

It is unlikely that mpox will develop into an epic outbreak on the scale of COVID-19, which is primarily transmitted through respiratory droplets from coughing, sneezing or talking. 

But the new version of the mpox virus can enter Japan from abroad at any time.

The nation’s medical system is prepared to deal with infections with the new version of the virus, capable of administering vaccines and treatment drugs if infections are confirmed domestically, but vigilance and surveillance are essential.

It is vital to ensure that strict border measures are implemented and tests and diagnoses are carried out when infection is suspected.

Vaccines are the key to suppressing the outbreak in Africa. In its recommendations issued to member countries late last month, the WHO called on the nations with outbreaks to prepare plans to introduce and administer vaccines.

Negotiations over a new WHO treaty to strengthen global preparedness and response to future pandemics were extended in June as the gap between developed and developing countries remained unbridged.

Support and cooperation from developed countries, which have vaccine production capabilities, are crucial for containing the mpox outbreak.

Last weekend, the WHO said it had received applications for emergency use licenses from two manufacturers of a smallpox vaccine, which has been confirmed to be effective for preventing mpox. One is a Japanese manufacturer.

Although smallpox was declared to have been eradicated in 1980, Japan has stockpiled smallpox vaccines made by KM Biologics, a Meiji Group company based in Kumamoto, in preparation for bioterrorism.

The vaccine's efficacy in preventing mpox was confirmed two years ago.

Keizo Takemi, the minister of health, labor and welfare, has revealed that he has received a request for a vaccine supply from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the epicenter of the outbreak. 

Japan can make a valuable international contribution by effectively using domestically made vaccines to help fight the health threat posed by the mpox outbreak.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 3

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