Q&A on the Second International Mpox Emergency

Este artículo estará disponible en español en El Tiempo Latino. In& 2022, mpox — a disease caused by the monkeypox virus, which is found in small mammals and has been known to infect people in parts of Africa for& decades& — burst into greater international awareness. The virus, which causes a painful rash and can be deadly, spread around the world, primarily among men who have sex with men. In response, the World Health Organization and the U.S. government declared public health emergencies. Mpox cases outside Africa subsequently decreased, and the public health emergencies were declared over in 2023. The global outbreak is still ongoing, but case numbers have fallen significantly. In the U.S., for example, the number of people diagnosed with mpox is down from a high of 11,000 cases per month in the summer of 2022 to 250 cases per month now, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.& However, the situation in Africa in recent years has noticeably worsened. On Aug. 14, the WHO once again declared an mpox public health emergency of international concern. A day earlier, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention had declared a public health emergency of continental security....