The World Health Organisation (WHO) have declared the monkeypox virus to be a global public health emergency of international concern
This is the highest form of alert from WHO. This declaration follows an outbreak of clade Ib, a subtype of monkeypox, in the Democratic Republic of Congo which has spread to neighbouring countries such as Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Central African Republic, and Kenya.
The risk for people in Aotearoa:
The risk of mpox for people in Aotearoa has been determined as...
Mpox subtype clade I (Ia and Ib): low
Mpox subtype clade II: low-moderate
The risk for people travelling overseas:
Africa poses the highest risk, as mpox is endemic to some African countries. As of 13 August WHO has provided the following risk assessments for mpox clade Ib...
Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and countries neighbouring DRC: high
Areas of DRC where mpox is endemic: high
Nigeria and countries of West, Central, and East Africa where mpox is endemic: moderate
Other countries in Africa: moderate
Other countries globally: moderate
Mpox virus clade I vs clade II outbreaks
The global mpox outbreak that has been ongoing since 2022, and that has also reached Aotearoa, is a clade II outbreak, a subtype of the monkeypox virus. The clade II outbreak has primarily been affecting gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men.
Currently, there is a clade I epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Clade I can be transmitted both sexually and non-sexually, so it's affecting a higher proportion of youth. However, as stated above, the public health risk of clade I in Aotearoa is currently low.
Information for people at-risk in Aotearoa -- particularly gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men
Check out the information from Burnett Foundation Aotearoa here, which includes symptoms, how to get tested, transmission, prevention (including information on the mpox vaccine), and more.
Information for people travelling to countries where risk of mpox may be higher
Check out the information from Safe Travel here on preventative advice and the countries where risk is highest.
