WHO declares end to international monkeypox emergency after ten months of alert

By Aria Bendix - NBC News

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared the end of the global health emergency over monkeypox (mpox), the rare but potentially serious disease formerly known as monkeypox.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced Thursday that countries have reported nearly 90 percent fewer cases over the past three months than in the previous quarter.

"Yesterday, the monkeypox emergency committee met and recommended to me that the multinational monkeypox outbreak no longer represents a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. I have accepted that recommendation. And I am pleased to declare that monkeypox is no longer a global health emergency," said Tedros.

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The WHO issued the emergency declaration in July, amid a major global spike in cases. The designation is reserved for the most severe disease outbreaks and has been assigned to seven since 2007: monkeypox, COVID-19, Zika, H1N1 influenza, polio and Ebola (which has been declared twice).

According to the WHO, since January 2022 there have been more than 87,000 cases of mpox and 140 deaths in 111 countries. The United States has recorded more than 30,000 cases and 42 deaths since May 2022, when the outbreak began in the country.

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Monkeypox belongs to the family of poxviruses, which includes smallpox. People with the disease usually develop a rash, which can be localized on the hands, feet, chest, face or mouth or near the genitals.

Throughout this outbreak, the virus has spread mostly through contact with lesions during sexual activity, with men accounting for the vast majority of cases.

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The United States began distributing the monkeypox vaccine to at-risk groups in June. The outbreak peaked in August, with more than 400 daily cases, but infections have since declined. About 1.2 million doses of the vaccine have been administered during the outbreak, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that only one in four of those most at risk is fully vaccinated.

CDC data shows that two doses of the Jynneos vaccine reduce the risk of contracting monkeypox disease by 69%. The agency recommends vaccines for men who have sex with men, as well as transgender, nonbinary or gender diverse people who have been rediagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease or have had more than one sexual partner in the past six months.

The CDC this week issued a reminder about mpox vaccination heading into the summer, as gay and bisexual men travel to LGBTQ events, which fueled outbreaks last year.

Transmission electron micrograph colored of monkeypox particles, in red, inside an infected cell, in blue. NIAID via AP

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health recommended vaccination of people at higher risk of contracting monkeypox "to reduce the risk of contracting or transmitting monkeypox at upcoming Pride festivals and events."

The department cited a recent cluster of monkeypox cases in Chicago as proof that infections could rise again. One Chicago clinic, Howard Brown Health, reported eight new cases of mpox between mid-April and Monday, compared with a single case in the previous three months.

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According to the CDC, more than half of the cases in the Chicago group are among people who have been vaccinated against monkeypox. The agency is conducting studies to determine how long immunity lasts after vaccination.

Tedros said Thursday that travel-related cases of monkeypox in all regions of the world highlight the continued threat of the virus.

"While we welcome the downward trend in monkeypox cases worldwide, the virus continues to affect communities in all regions, including Africa, where transmission is not yet well understood," he said.