The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has declared a public health emergency as a virulent strain of mpox spreads rapidly across central Africa. So far this year, the Africa CDC has logged over 15,000 suspected cases of the viral disease — formerly known as monkeypox — which can cause fever, rashes and extremely painful lesions. It’s most often spread through close, intimate physical contact. Scientists say the new strain of mpox is more lethal, with a fatality rate of around 5% in adults and double that in children. Jean Kaseya is director-general of the Africa CDC.

Dr. Jean Kaseya: “This is not just an African issue. Mpox is a global threat, a menace that knows no boundaries, no race, no creed. It is a virus that exploits our vulnerabilities, preying on our weakest points.”

In May, the Africa CDC said it was struggling to secure any of the millions of doses of mpox vaccine it requested from pharmaceutical companies. The World Health Organization is meeting today to consider whether to declare a global public health emergency from mpox.