The authorities of Sweden also detected the first case of the more risky strain of mpox-Clade 1b in countries of the continent besides African states. They got infected with the disease when they were in an area that is lately endowed with a large outbreak in Africa. This announcement is made against the backdrop of the WHO’s recent official declaration of the Mpox outbreak in Africa as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
The outbreak has killed over 450 people in the DRC, with the disease extending to Central and East Africa. Swedish agency’s Olivia Wigzell, the acting head, sought to calm the people after explaining that the infected person sought medical care in Stockholm and, therefore, could not harm others.
Mpox is a sexually transmitted infection and can be transmitted through skin-touching contact. It presents itself in symptoms that start from ‘flu-like’ to major skin ulcerations and has a death rate of approximately 4%.
Since 2022, about 300 of the milder Clade 2 have been identified, but specialists claim that new cases of Clade 1b might appear in Europe. The WHO is concerned that more cases are generated globally at a fast rate, and more needs to be done to curb the spread even as the vaccination programs progress.
