UN confirms sexual spread of mpox in Congo for the 1st time as country sees a record outbreak

By MARIA CHENG
AP Medical Writer

LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization said it has confirmed sexual transmission of mpox in Congo for the first time as the country experiences its biggest-ever outbreak. The confirmation is a worrying development that African scientists warn could make it more difficult to stop the disease. Mpox has been endemic in parts of central and west Africa for decades, where it mostly jumped into humans from infected rodents. Last year, epidemics triggered mainly by sex among gay and bisexual men in Europe hit more than 100 countries in a global emergency. WHO said the latest outbreak in Congo suggests the risk of mpox spreading elsewhere in Africa and globally is “significant.”