WHO declaration of public health emergency triggered by worsening of mpox outbreak in Africa, not a ploy to push for using vaccine stocks

On 14 August 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox, also known as monkeypox, a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) after the significant increase in mpox cases in several African countries.

A PHEIC is an official declaration aimed at drawing attention to an ongoing health threat and mobilizing resources to respond to it. For instance, WHO declared PHEICs for Ebola in 2014 and 2019, and for COVID-19 in 2020^[1]. The organization declared mpox a PHEIC in 2022 before ending this declaration in 2023, after the outbreak came under control.

Following the PHEIC for mpox in 2024, Rizza Islam, a figure known for promoting vaccine misinformation, made claims suggesting that mpox, bird flu, and parvovirus B19 are merely rebranded versions of the same virus. He further claimed that this was a ploy to push for more vaccinations and make use of existing vaccines “stored up in warehouses”. Islam also implied that the goal of this was financial profit, writing “No viruses = no injections given which = a MAJOR LOSS of $” .

Islam published his claim in a reel on Instagram which was viewed more than 200,000 times at the time of writing. In the caption of that reel, he also promoted his brand of herbal supplement.

Islam’s statements imply that these viruses are fundamentally the same and that the WHO’s emergency declaration is part of a scheme to manipulate public health responses for financial gain. However, this assertion is inaccurate.

The 2024 mpox outbreak was caused by a new, more virulent variant

First, the 2024 outbreak of mpox is real. The epicenter of the outbreak is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the number of cases has been increasing over the past decade. In just the first seven months of 2024, there were more than 15,600 cases, exceeding the total number of cases for the whole of 2023.

Apart from the rising number of cases, another concerning aspect of the outbreak is the emergence of a new lineage, or clade, of mpox virus called clade 1b, that began spreading in the neighboring countries of DRC in 2023.

Brian Ferguson, an associate professor of immunology at the University of Cambridge, told the Science Media Centre that “the majority of these cases are caused by clade 1b mpox virus, which is more virulent than the clade 2 virus that caused the global outbreak in 2022”.

Jonas Albarnaz, a research fellow at The Pirbright Institute in the U.K., provided some additional details:

“Clade 1 mpox virus is known for causing more severe disease in young children, pregnant women, and immunocompromised people. The emergence of the new clade 1b variant changed this picture as cases have been reported outside DRC (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda). Most of the clade 1b has been in young adults, and sexual networks seem to be driving its spread.”

Reports from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control also indicated that the disease was no longer contained in central Africa as “one case of [mpox] clade [1]b was reported in the [European Union] and more imported [mpox] clade [1] cases will likely occur”.

Therefore, Islam’s claim that the emergency declaration is simply motivated by the desire to “push more shots” is baseless. The evidence shows that the WHO’s declaration of a PHEIC for mpox is in line with a genuine and worsening public health threat.

Mpox, bird flu and parvovirus are all caused by different viruses

Furthermore, the claim that mpox, bird flu, and parvovirus B19 are rebranded versions of the same virus is not supported by scientific evidence. Indeed, each of these viruses is a clearly identified and well-characterized, distinct biological entity.

Mpox belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus, has a genome made of DNA and was identified in 1958 in captive monkeys, hence its name. Mpox is mostly transmitted through skin contact. The most characteristic symptom of mpox are the blister-like lesions appearing one to five days after infection.

Bird flu doesn’t refer to a single virus but to a group of influenza viruses causing a highly infectious respiratory disease, primarily in birds. These viruses belong to the Alphainfluenzavirus genus and have a genome made of RNA.

Perhaps the most well-known member of this group to date is H5N1, which has spread in bird and poultry populations and caused several human deaths. H5N1 was first identified in 1996 in China.

Parvovirus B19 is responsible for mild infections in humans, particularly in children. The most characteristic symptom associated with this infection is a red rash on the face. This is why the infection is also known as “slapped cheek” disease. The virus belongs to the genus Erythroparvovirus and has a genome made of DNA. It was first identified in 1975 in human serum samples.

In summary, viruses like mpox, parvovirus B19, and the viruses responsible for bird flu are all different from each other. They were identified at different times and in different places. Their genomes are structured differently, and they belong to separate families of viruses. Thus, Islam’s claim is incorrect as they aren’t a “rebranding” of each other. Scientifically established facts distinguish these viruses from each other.

Islam’s claim that the newly declared PHEIC for mpox is simply a pretext to “push more shots” is baseless. The declaration of a public health emergency regarding the mpox outbreak in central Africa comes in response to clear evidence of a growing outbreak of a new, more virulent mpox virus that has already spread to different countries.

REFERENCES

• 1 – Wilder-Smith & Osman (2020) Public health emergencies of international concern: a historic overview. Journal of travel medicine.