٠٠:٠٨:٠٩Chair of the WHO Emergency Committee and infectious disease physician at Niger Delta University in Nigeria Dr. Dimie Ogoina said it was 'worrying' that a new clade of mpox 'seems to be evolving, mutating very fast,' during an interview in Bayelsa state on Friday.
"The new strain 1B is said to have mutated within the period of one year. And that's very, very unusual. So we need to be very careful to see how we can stop continuous human-to-human transmission," Ogoina said.
He went on to mention that there had been a 'significant' increase in the number of cases of mpox reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the beginning of 2023. "In 2024, when you compare the figures as of July 2024, you observe that there has been about 160 percent increase in number of cases that have been seen in DRC," the doctor added.
According to Ogoina, an 'unusual, not previously detected' strain of clade 1, called clade 1B 'was being associated with sexual transmission', while the "sexual transmission has never been associated with Clade 1."
The doctor also noticed that the new infection is 'very similar' to smallpox in terms of 'clinical presentation', although smallpox is caused by a different virus. Most often, mpox is associated with 'fever, then a skin rash.
"The best way to describe it is like a boil for a layman, that this rash can be most often, especially in the African setting, generalised, but it can also be localised," Ogoina explained.
According to him, the 2022 global outbreak of mpox - caused by Clade II - was 'circulating predominantly amongst gay and bisexual men' especially those in Europe, North and South America as well as in some African countries, while the current situation is 'completely different' in terms of 'demographics and epidemiology'.
According to media reports, the 2022 outbreak was fatal in less than one percent of cases, while reports suggest the new strain has a fatality rate of up to 10 percent.
"There's a concern that if mpox gets to the HIV/AIDS population, it may lead to significant morbidity and mortality. And as we know in Africa and in many other developing countries HIV/AIDS is still a challenge and this is one of the reasons that we need to address this challenge of mpox so that we can protect our populations," Ogoina stressed.
Moreover, the researcher called on the international community not to 'fuel fear or stigma' as one 'cannot say' that the current outbreak will result in a more significant outbreak than COVID-19 caused. He, however, urged various stakeholders to 'work collaboratively'.
"The future is very difficult to predict. But what is notable is that if we do not invest in surveillance, in addressing knowledge gaps, in developing countermeasures, we will expose ourselves to repeating history, which means that we'll get to a point where a disease that can be controlled will cause another global challenge," Ogoina concluded.
Dr Ogoina discovered the first case of Mpox in Nigeria in 38 years - back in 2017 - and began studying the spread. Since it was discovered in 1958 and first found in humans in the DRC in 1970 - it was believed to be not particularly contagious between humans, but spread from animals to people.
Ogoina was one of the first to warn that the virus could potentially spread by sexual contact, and spent the intervening years attempting to get the scientific community to listen.
Last Wednesday, the WHO declared 'public health emergency of international concern' over the current outbreak. Previously, the category was used for Ebola outbreaks, Covid-19 and the 2022 Mpox surge.
According to reports, there have been 15,000 cases of Mpox and over 500 deaths recorded in Africa this year, mostly in the DRC but also in 13 other countries. Sweden confirmed a case of the Clade 1 - the first outside Africa - last week.
'Worrying that it seems to be evolving, mutating very fast' - Trailblazing Nigerian doctor who warned about mpox years ago debates pandemic prospects
Chair of the WHO Emergency Committee and infectious disease physician at Niger Delta University in Nigeria Dr. Dimie Ogoina said it was 'worrying' that a new clade of mpox 'seems to be evolving, mutating very fast,' during an interview in Bayelsa state on Friday.
"The new strain 1B is said to have mutated within the period of one year. And that's very, very unusual. So we need to be very careful to see how we can stop continuous human-to-human transmission," Ogoina said.
He went on to mention that there had been a 'significant' increase in the number of cases of mpox reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the beginning of 2023. "In 2024, when you compare the figures as of July 2024, you observe that there has been about 160 percent increase in number of cases that have been seen in DRC," the doctor added.
According to Ogoina, an 'unusual, not previously detected' strain of clade 1, called clade 1B 'was being associated with sexual transmission', while the "sexual transmission has never been associated with Clade 1."
The doctor also noticed that the new infection is 'very similar' to smallpox in terms of 'clinical presentation', although smallpox is caused by a different virus. Most often, mpox is associated with 'fever, then a skin rash.
"The best way to describe it is like a boil for a layman, that this rash can be most often, especially in the African setting, generalised, but it can also be localised," Ogoina explained.
According to him, the 2022 global outbreak of mpox - caused by Clade II - was 'circulating predominantly amongst gay and bisexual men' especially those in Europe, North and South America as well as in some African countries, while the current situation is 'completely different' in terms of 'demographics and epidemiology'.
According to media reports, the 2022 outbreak was fatal in less than one percent of cases, while reports suggest the new strain has a fatality rate of up to 10 percent.
"There's a concern that if mpox gets to the HIV/AIDS population, it may lead to significant morbidity and mortality. And as we know in Africa and in many other developing countries HIV/AIDS is still a challenge and this is one of the reasons that we need to address this challenge of mpox so that we can protect our populations," Ogoina stressed.
Moreover, the researcher called on the international community not to 'fuel fear or stigma' as one 'cannot say' that the current outbreak will result in a more significant outbreak than COVID-19 caused. He, however, urged various stakeholders to 'work collaboratively'.
"The future is very difficult to predict. But what is notable is that if we do not invest in surveillance, in addressing knowledge gaps, in developing countermeasures, we will expose ourselves to repeating history, which means that we'll get to a point where a disease that can be controlled will cause another global challenge," Ogoina concluded.
Dr Ogoina discovered the first case of Mpox in Nigeria in 38 years - back in 2017 - and began studying the spread. Since it was discovered in 1958 and first found in humans in the DRC in 1970 - it was believed to be not particularly contagious between humans, but spread from animals to people.
Ogoina was one of the first to warn that the virus could potentially spread by sexual contact, and spent the intervening years attempting to get the scientific community to listen.
Last Wednesday, the WHO declared 'public health emergency of international concern' over the current outbreak. Previously, the category was used for Ebola outbreaks, Covid-19 and the 2022 Mpox surge.
According to reports, there have been 15,000 cases of Mpox and over 500 deaths recorded in Africa this year, mostly in the DRC but also in 13 other countries. Sweden confirmed a case of the Clade 1 - the first outside Africa - last week.
Chair of the WHO Emergency Committee and infectious disease physician at Niger Delta University in Nigeria Dr. Dimie Ogoina said it was 'worrying' that a new clade of mpox 'seems to be evolving, mutating very fast,' during an interview in Bayelsa state on Friday.
"The new strain 1B is said to have mutated within the period of one year. And that's very, very unusual. So we need to be very careful to see how we can stop continuous human-to-human transmission," Ogoina said.
He went on to mention that there had been a 'significant' increase in the number of cases of mpox reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the beginning of 2023. "In 2024, when you compare the figures as of July 2024, you observe that there has been about 160 percent increase in number of cases that have been seen in DRC," the doctor added.
According to Ogoina, an 'unusual, not previously detected' strain of clade 1, called clade 1B 'was being associated with sexual transmission', while the "sexual transmission has never been associated with Clade 1."
The doctor also noticed that the new infection is 'very similar' to smallpox in terms of 'clinical presentation', although smallpox is caused by a different virus. Most often, mpox is associated with 'fever, then a skin rash.
"The best way to describe it is like a boil for a layman, that this rash can be most often, especially in the African setting, generalised, but it can also be localised," Ogoina explained.
According to him, the 2022 global outbreak of mpox - caused by Clade II - was 'circulating predominantly amongst gay and bisexual men' especially those in Europe, North and South America as well as in some African countries, while the current situation is 'completely different' in terms of 'demographics and epidemiology'.
According to media reports, the 2022 outbreak was fatal in less than one percent of cases, while reports suggest the new strain has a fatality rate of up to 10 percent.
"There's a concern that if mpox gets to the HIV/AIDS population, it may lead to significant morbidity and mortality. And as we know in Africa and in many other developing countries HIV/AIDS is still a challenge and this is one of the reasons that we need to address this challenge of mpox so that we can protect our populations," Ogoina stressed.
Moreover, the researcher called on the international community not to 'fuel fear or stigma' as one 'cannot say' that the current outbreak will result in a more significant outbreak than COVID-19 caused. He, however, urged various stakeholders to 'work collaboratively'.
"The future is very difficult to predict. But what is notable is that if we do not invest in surveillance, in addressing knowledge gaps, in developing countermeasures, we will expose ourselves to repeating history, which means that we'll get to a point where a disease that can be controlled will cause another global challenge," Ogoina concluded.
Dr Ogoina discovered the first case of Mpox in Nigeria in 38 years - back in 2017 - and began studying the spread. Since it was discovered in 1958 and first found in humans in the DRC in 1970 - it was believed to be not particularly contagious between humans, but spread from animals to people.
Ogoina was one of the first to warn that the virus could potentially spread by sexual contact, and spent the intervening years attempting to get the scientific community to listen.
Last Wednesday, the WHO declared 'public health emergency of international concern' over the current outbreak. Previously, the category was used for Ebola outbreaks, Covid-19 and the 2022 Mpox surge.
According to reports, there have been 15,000 cases of Mpox and over 500 deaths recorded in Africa this year, mostly in the DRC but also in 13 other countries. Sweden confirmed a case of the Clade 1 - the first outside Africa - last week.