Mpox outbreak: Sweden confirmed that it has reported the first case of mpox, a viral infection that spreads through close contact. The Swedish government made the announcement on Thursday (August 15), marking the first case of the variant outside of Africa. According to reports, the person got infected during a stay in an area of Africa where there is presently a major outbreak of mpox Clade I. The Swedish public health agency said in a statement the patient recently sought health care in Stockholm.
This comes a day after the World Health Organization declared the outbreaks there and elsewhere in Africa to be a global emergency.
"We have now also during the afternoon had confirmation that we have one case in Sweden of the more grave type of mpox, the one called Clade I," Health and Social Affairs Minister Jakob Forssmed told a news conference. Magnus Gisslen, a state epidemiologist with the Swedish health agency, said the person had been treated and given “rules of conduct.” “The fact that a patient with mpox is treated in the country does not affect the risk to the general population,” Swedish officials said, adding that experts estimate that risk to be “very low.” They said, however, that occasional imported cases may continue to occur.
What is mpox?
Mpox, also known as monkeypox, was first identified by scientists in 1958 when there were outbreaks of a "pox-like" disease in monkeys. Until recently, most human cases were seen in people in central and West Africa who had close contact with infected animals. In 2022, the virus was confirmed to spread via sex for the first time and triggered outbreaks in more than 70 countries across the world that had not previously reported mpox. Mpox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox but causes milder symptoms like fever, chills and body aches. People with more serious cases can develop lesions on the face, hands, chest and genitals.
New global health emergency
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the mpox outbreaks in Congo and other parts of Africa a global emergency on Wednesday. The virus has spread to more than a dozen countries, affecting both children and adults, and a new form of the virus is emerging. The continent faces a shortage of vaccine doses to combat the outbreak. Earlier this week, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the mpox outbreaks were a public health emergency, with more than 500 deaths, and called for international help to stop the virus’ spread.
(With AP inputs)
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