WHO Declares Mpox Outbreak a Global Health Threat | BGI Insight
2024-08-15
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the current mpox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on August 14th, 2024. This marks the second time mpox has been designated as such, with the first declaration occurring in 2022.
Testing remains a critical tool for combating the outbreak, according to WHO. BGI Genomics has join the support of global efforts to control and eventually eliminate this PHEIC. Beijing BGI-GBI Biotech Co., Ltd. (GBI), subsidiary of BGI Genomics, has developed the Monkeypox Virus (MPV) Detection Kit, which utilizes PCR-fluorescence probing technology.
The MPV Detection Kit, which received CE-IVDD approval in 2022, is designed for rapid and highly sensitive detection of the mpox virus, which delivers results within an hour. It can detect both MPV-1 and MPV-2 gene fragments, offering a reliable clinical diagnostic tool for suspected cases of mpox infection.
The new outbreak, which originated in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), has raised urgent global concerns about the virus's potential for widespread transmission beyond the African continent.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General, expressed grave concern over the situation, stating, "The detection and rapid spread of a new clade of mpox in eastern DRC, its detection in neighbouring countries that had not previously reported mpox, and the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying."
Mpox (formerly as monkeypox) is an acute zoonotic infectious disease caused by the mpox virus (MPV). The virus has two primary clades: clade I and clade II, with the current outbreak being driven by the more deadlier clade I.
It can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. Most people fully recover, but some get very sick. The virus transmits from person to person through close contact, including sexual. The incubation period is roughly 1-2 weeks. Early detection and early treatment can reduce the suffering caused by mpox infection.
Although the virus primarily spreads among adults, children remain the most affected demographic in endemic regions. The WHO reports that the number of cases so far this year has surpassed last year's total, with over 15,600 cases and 537 deaths reported. In 2023, nearly 15,000 cases and hundreds of deaths were documented, half of the fatalities occurring among children under 15 years old.
Despite the ongoing spread of the epidemic, the WHO's recent statement serves as a powerful reminder that we can overcome this potential global health crisis. By raising awareness, ramping up testing, staying vigilant, and working together across all sectors of society and borders, we have the power to stop it in its tracks.
About BGI Genomics
BGI Genomics, headquartered in Shenzhen, China, is the world's leading integrated solutions provider of precision medicine. Its services cover more than 100 countries and regions, involving more than 2,300 medical institutions and 10,000 employees worldwide. In July 2017, as a subsidiary of BGI Group, BGI Genomics (300676.SZ) officially began trading on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange.
About GBI
Beijing BGI-GBI Biotech Co., Ltd. (GBI), a subsidiary of BGI Genomics, was founded in 1994. GBI mainly focuses on the business, including R&D, manufacturing, and sales of In Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) kits and clinical lab services.
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