Gabrielle Emanuel
[Copyright 2024 NPR]
-
Wiping out smallpox had an unintended consequence: the rise of mpox in the past few years. Here's the story — starting with patient zero for mpox back in 1970. -
Marburg is one scary disease. The fatality rate can be as high as 88%. There's no approved vaccine — yet. With one of the world's largest outbreaks, Rwanda is now testing a promising new vaccine. -
High levels of lead were found in a surprisingly large number of Bangladeshi kids in New York City — and in pregnant women in Bangladesh. Could there be a common cause? -
Congo has over 20,000 cases of mpox and hundreds of deaths, mostly in children, but zero vaccines until now. A planeload of doses donated from the EU landed in Kinshasa on Thursday. -
The World Health Organization declared mpox, previously known as monkeypox, a public health emergency. Cases have been surging in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and spread to nearby countries.
-
On Wednesday, the WHO said an outbreak of mpox in several African countries is serous enough to constitute a public health emergency of international concern.
-
"What we're seeing is tip of the iceberg" because of weaknesses in the surveillance system, says Dr. Dimie Ogoina, chair of the WHO's emergency committee. -
On Tuesday, it's expected that Africa CDC will announce that Mpox is a health emergency of "continental" concern. An outbreak in the DRC has spread to four countries that have never had Mpox.
-
This is the first time Africa CDC has announced a "continental emergency." The World Health Organization is considering a similar declaration. -
The territory hasn't had any polio cases for 25 years but this suggests the virus is spreading. Polio experts are scrambling to figure out the origins and whether or not there are active cases.
