Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and colleagues arrived in Beijing on Monday, in efforts to understand the latest developments and strengthen partnership, particularly for response against the respiratory disease.
In a message posted on Twitter, he said the UN agency also is working with countries everywhere to activate their response systems.
Coronaviruses are a large family of respiratory viruses that can cause diseases ranging from the common cold to the Middle-East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Novel coronavirus was first identified earlier this month in Wuhan, a city in central China. So far, 80 people have died, according to the latest WHO situation report published on Monday.
There have been 2,798 confirmed cases of the disease globally, 2,741 of which were in China. Thirty-seven cases have been reported in 11 other countries, 36 of which had travel history to China, and 34 related to travel in Wuhan.
WHO said its strategic objectives during the outbreak include limiting human-to-human transmission and identifying patients early.
“Understanding the time when infected patients may transmit the virus to others is critical for control efforts,” the agency report said.
Current estimates for the incubation period range from 2-10 days, but this information will be refined as more data becomes available.
As transmission of novel coronavirus appears similar to that for MERS and SARS, WHO has recommended basic principles such as avoiding close contact with those suffering from acute respiratory infections, frequent handwashing, and enhanced infection prevention practices in healthcare facilities.
The 38th situation report for the multi-country outbreak of mpox, published on 28 September, provides an update on the mpox epidemiological situation in Africa as of 22 September 2024.
Highlights include:
A total of 6603 confirmed mpox cases, including 32 deaths have been reported across 15 African countries in 2024, with 402 confirmed cases and no deaths reported in the last week.
All currently affected countries on the continent have reported new cases in the last six weeks, with Guinea reporting its first mpox case in the past month.
Testing challenges and delays in case confirmation persist in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The latest data received enabled a more detailed analysis of the national and subnational epidemiological situation for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and for Burundi.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, cases linked to clade Ib MPXV are driving outbreaks, particularly in South Kivu province.
Mpox deaths are concentrated in the provinces of Equateur, Sankuru, Tshuapa, and Tshopo, with high case fatality in some areas.
In Burundi, since the start of the outbreak in July 2024, 35 of 49 (71%) districts are affected, with children under 5 years of age comprising about 30% of confirmed cases. Approximately 93% of suspected cases are tested, and testing positivity is around 40%.
This edition of the report outlines a research roadmap for mpox prepared by WHO and partners.
