Health authorities, who are racing to stop the recent outbreak of monkeypox and its rapid spread in the Democratic Republic of Congo, are increasingly concerned that the disease is spreading through people who do not yet show symptoms.

The rapid spread of the disease is raising suspicions about the risk of future pandemics.

The new mutated variant of monkeypox has yet to be determined, but it is already responsible for around 18,000 cases and more than 500 deaths this year.

Given the difficulty of accessing health services in Congo, the real number of cases is probably much higher than the official count.

Of these fatal cases, more than 60% occurred among children under the age of five. Unlike clade IIb, a milder strain that emerged in 2022 and spread mainly through men who have sex with men, the current variant is spreading through all types of sexual activity and other close physical contact.

Mpox tends to present itself initially through fever, muscle aches, fatigue, headache, swelling of the lymph nodes and other flu-like symptoms. A few days after the onset of fever, some patients develop a rash that can produce fluid-containing lesions or pustules. (Source: Bloomberg)