2024-08-15 18:32:50
A first case of the new Mpox variant has been confirmed in Sweden. The WHO has already declared a global health emergency in view of the spread.
Sweden confirmed its first case of the new Mpox virus variant on Thursday, reports the Reuters news agency. According to the BBC, this is the first case outside Africa.
Earlier on Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency for the second time in two years after an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo spread to other countries.
“During the afternoon it was confirmed that a case of the more severe Mpox variant, the so-called clade I, has occurred in Sweden,” said Health and Social Affairs Minister Jakob Forssmed at a press conference. The case was reportedly identified in the Stockholm region. “This is of course something we take seriously,” said Forssmed. The infected person had previously been in Africa.
The person became infected during a stay in an area of Africa where there is currently a major outbreak, it said.
Mpox was formerly known as monkeypox because it was first discovered by chance in monkeys. The virus is related to the classic smallpox virus. There are two vaccines, but not nearly enough doses in Africa.
Experts are currently particularly concerned about the virus variant 1b, which is currently circulating in Congo and some other African countries. Typical symptoms of an infection with the 1b variant are rashes all over the body. In milder variants, the rash is limited to individual parts of the body such as the mouth, face or genitals. In addition to pustules, fever is also one of the typical symptoms of the disease.
Compared to the corona pandemic, the number of Mpox cases is significantly lower and the transmission rate of the virus is lower. It is therefore considered unlikely that the Mpox virus will trigger a global pandemic. However, the RKI wants to continue to monitor the situation closely.