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When was the first case of monkeypox identified and why is the disease now called MPOX?

Various cases of Monkeypox, also known as MPOX, has been detected in countries in Central and East Africa.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda have registered all cases since the WHO declared a global emergency.

“Today we declare this health emergency of continental security, to protect our institutions, our collective will and our Resources to act quickly and decisively“, said Jean Kaseya, Director General of the Africa CDC, in a press conference.

By May 2024, the Democratic Republic of Congo reported 7,851 cases and 384 deaths.

Clade I and Clade II Mpox:

Clade I leads to more severe illness and death.

  • In some outbreaks, up to 10% of those infected died, although in more recent outbreaks the mortality rate was lower.
  • Clade I is endemic to Central Africa.

Clade II is the guy who caused the global outbreak that started in 2022.

  • Infections caused by Mpox clade II are less severe.
  • More than 99.9% of people survive.
  • Clade II is endemic to West Africa.

(Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Protection)

Why is monkeypox called MPOX?

The name monkeypox originally came from when first identified in monkeys in 1958Al Jazeera states that this captive research monkeys were in Denmark at the time of discovery.

Regarding the name change from monkeypox to Mpox, the WHO stated in 2022 that “as the monkeypox outbreak expanded earlier this year, Racist and stigmatizing language on the Internet, in other environments and in some communities has been observed and WHO. In several public and private meetings, a number of individuals and countries expressed concerns and called on the WHO to propose a name change.”

Monkeypox:

Only when 1970, when the first reported case of Mpox in humans was detected: A nine-month-old boy in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a victim of the disease.

The European Centre for Disease Protection and Control writes: “For the first time, Mpox in humans outside Africa was reported in the United States. 2003, when a smallpox outbreak occurred in the United States' and adds that there has been no transmission to humans or deaths because the original host was 'rodents infected with MPXV imported from Ghana'.

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