Mpox outbreak, lessons learnt with Prof. Dr. med. Placide Mbala
The MCID and ISPM were thrilled to welcome Prof. Placide Mbala from the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale and Service de Microbiologie, Cliniques Universitaires, Faculté de Médicine, Université de Kinshasa this week to Bern, where he presented a seminar describing how Mpox has evolved from a little-known zoonotic disease in Central and West Africa into a global public health concern. In this seminar, he traced nearly two decades of frontline research in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), beginning with the early identification of mpox cases during the global eradication of smallpox. Initially believed to pose limited risk to humans, Mpox was largely monitored through passive surveillance because most infections appeared to result from animal-to-human transmission and outbreaks often ended naturally. However, over time researchers documented rising case numbers, more sustained human-to-human spread, and serious complications including blindness, scarring, and pregnancy loss, particularly among unvaccinated populations after the end of smallpox vaccination programs.
The seminar highlighted how scientific understanding of Mpox has transformed through advances in epidemiology, genomics, and international collaboration. Studies conducted in the DRC and neighboring countries revealed major increases in incidence, especially in forested regions, and identified important differences between viral clades circulating in Central and West Africa. Researchers also documented changing transmission patterns, with outbreaks increasingly affecting adults in urban areas and spreading through close and sexual contact. The 2022 global outbreak demonstrated how rapidly mpox could move beyond endemic regions, while genomic sequencing showed the virus was mutating faster than previously believed and adapting more efficiently for human-to-human transmission. More recently, scientists identified new variants such as clade 1b in eastern DRC, linked to sustained outbreaks among mining communities and sex workers before spreading internationally.
Prof. Mbala emphasized that Mpox remains a dynamic and evolving disease requiring continued vigilance. Current priorities include strengthening genomic surveillance, improving decentralized diagnostics, expanding vaccine access, and developing more effective treatments. Although supportive care and nutrition can reduce mortality, severe complications still occur and no antiviral treatment has yet shown clear benefit in major clinical trials. Researchers are also investigating animal reservoirs and environmental transmission through a One Health approach that integrates human, animal, and environmental health. The seminar concluded with a warning that mpox can no longer be viewed solely as a tropical skin disease or sexually transmitted infection; instead, it represents a complex global health challenge shaped by viral evolution, mobility, stigma, and unequal access to healthcare and research resources.
