Virologist Cheryl Walter sets out some of the reasons the outbreaks there are so worrying and what must be done to prevent another global pandemic

Earlier this year, scientists reported the emergence of a new form of mpox in a Congolese mining town that can kill up to 10% of people and may spread more easily

Cases are up 160% and deaths are up 19% compared with the same period last year

In June, 934 new laboratory confirmed cases of the disease  — including two in Ireland — and four deaths were reported to WHO from 26 countries

WHO invites vaccine manufacturers to submit interest in an emergency use listing

The World Health Organisation (WHO) will convene an expert group to determine if the increasing spread of the mpox virus in Africa warrants being declared a global emergency.

People need to know where to get regular testing and how to get information from healthcare workers, they added

US President Joe Biden’s administration will help 50 countries identify and respond to infectious diseases, with the goal of preventing pandemics similar to the Covid-19 outbreak.

In total, 6,215 STIs have been recorded so far in 2024 through to April 6 — a fall of 183 (2.86%) on the same point last year

The last year has seen a significant surge in sexually transmitted infections across Ireland, the latest figures show. Six out of ten infections which are notified to the health system saw jumps on the figures from 2022 from the same period.

But health experts admit that gaps in surveillance, testing and genome sequencing mean they do not understand well enough how the virus is changing

EU agency set up to respond to the Covid pandemic now warns that global warming is making tropical diseases more prevalent in Europe