Sweden has officially recorded the first case of a more dangerous type of Mpox outside the African continent. The person was infected during a stay in an area of Africa where there is currently a large outbreak of the Clade 1 variant.
Sweden Confirms The First Case of Mpox Outside Africa
The case was confirmed just after the World Health Organization declared that the mpox outbreak in parts of Africa is now an international public health emergency. At least 400 people died during an initial outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the disease has spread to areas of Central and Eastern Africa.
The infected person had sought care in the city of Stockholm and the fact that he was receiving treatment in Sweden does not mean that there is a risk to the general population.
After Sweden confirmed the first case of mpox Clade 1 outside Africa, more cases are likely to be confirmed in Europe in the coming days and weeks, according to the World Health Organization. How concerned should one be about the outbreak? pic.twitter.com/z86AQFFEiI
— DW News (@dwnews) August 15, 2024
Currently, there are several outbreaks of monkeypox occurring simultaneously, and they are partly caused by the newer and more severe type: Clade 1b. The first case outside Africa is worrying as it means the spread could be greater than experts expected.
WHO Declares Mpox as a Global Health Emergency
In news with unimaginable consequences, the World Health Organization has declared the current outbreak of mpox (monkeypox) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has spread to other nearby countries, as a public health emergency of international scope.
This is the second time in two years that this infectious disease has been considered to be a potential international health threat, an alert that was initially raised in May last year after its spread was contained and the situation was deemed to be under control. In that outbreak, cases reached Europe and North America.
What is Happening with Mpox?
The WHO noted that this time the outbreaks are not the result of the circulation of the same variant of the virus, but of more than one, and that different levels of risk and contagion have also been observed, while two years ago transmission was almost exclusively sexual.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the statement after receiving a recommendation from the WHO Emergency Committee, a body of independent scientists from around the world tasked with analyzing whether an epidemic outbreak could affect global public health.
“This is something that should concern us all … The potential for further spread within Africa and beyond is very worrying,” said WHO director-general.
All members of the Emergency Committee agreed that the new outbreak of monkeypox constitutes “an extraordinary event,” among other things because of the speed with which cases have increased in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where such a high number of infected people had not been seen since the 1970s.
