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Sweden reports deadly clade I variant of mpox, first such case outside Africa
WHO declared the mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring countries a public health emergency of international concern on Wednesday.
Sweden reported its first mpox case on Thursday, a day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the infection a global public health emergency. With this, Sweden has also become the first country outside the African continent to report the more contagious strain of mpox virus.
"A person who sought care" in Stockholm "has been diagnosed with mpox caused by the clade I variant. It is the first case caused by clade I to be diagnosed outside the African continent," Sweden's Public Health Agency said in a statement.
The patient is believed to have contracted the virus during a visit to a region in Africa currently experiencing a major outbreak of mpox clade I, according to state epidemiologist Magnus Gisslen.
"The fact that a patient with mpox is treated in the country does not affect the risk to the general population, a risk that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) currently considers very low," Gisslen said in a statement.
Mpox outbreak: Symptoms, preventions. Why has WHO declared it global health emergency? Explained
On Wednesday, the WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following an outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to other countries.
"The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighbouring countries are very worrying,” WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference.
“On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” he added.
The UN health agency declared it a global public health emergency on the advice of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee of independent experts.
Last week, the WHO invited manufacturers of mpox vaccines to submit an expression of interest for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) amid a worrying surge in cases in Africa.
The new viral strain, which first emerged in September 2023, has for the first time been detected outside DRC.
What is mpox?
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease primarily spread through close contact with an infected person or animal. This can include direct contact with body fluids, skin lesions, respiratory droplets, or contaminated materials like bedding. The virus can also be transmitted from animals to humans, typically through a bite, scratch, or direct contact with the animal's bodily fluids.
Symptoms
The symptoms of mpox usually appear within 5 to 21 days after exposure and can include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion. People with mpox get a characteristic rash that often begins on the face before spreading to other parts of the body. The rash typically goes through several stages, including macules, papules, vesicles, pustules, and finally crusts, which eventually fall off.
According to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a person with mpox can spread the virus to others from the onset of symptoms until the lesions have completely healed, the scabs have fallen off, and a fresh layer of skin has formed underneath. The infectious period usually lasts 2 to 4 weeks.
With inputs from agencies
