Published 3 September 2024 at 14.12
Foreign. A new variant of monkeypox is spreading rapidly across Africa and is causing concern among experts, SVT reports. Scientists have discovered that the virus has mutated and become more contagious, worsening the situation in several countries on that continent.
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In the past, monkeypox was considered primarily a problem in some regions and for homosexual men in the Western world, but now the disease is spreading to new areas and has the capacity to affect significantly more people.
The new variant is more aggressive and appears to have a higher contagiousness, which means that more people fall ill in a shorter time. Experts warn that this could lead to a serious public health crisis if action is not taken quickly.
Health authorities in several African countries have begun to step up their efforts to combat the spread, including vaccination and information campaigns.
Despite this, it is uncertain whether the efforts will be enough to stop the rapidly escalating spread of monkeypox.
Scientists are working to understand the new mutations of the virus and develop effective countermeasures.