Global Alert: Monkeypox Variant Hits Sweden, WHO Declares Emergency

Sweden has reported its first confirmed case of mpox Clade I, a more dangerous variant of the Monkeypox (mpox) virus. The Swedish government announced this development on Thursday, marking the first occurrence of this variant outside Africa. This news comes shortly after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global public health emergency due to the spread of the virus in several countries, particularly following a significant outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Confirmation of Mpox Clade I in Sweden:

• Health and Social Affairs Minister Jakob Forssmed announced on Thursday that Sweden has identified a case of the more severe mpox Clade I. He stated, “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.”
• The Swedish Public Health Agency confirmed that this is the first case of Clade I mpox detected outside the African continent.

Details on the Infected Patient:

• Magnus Gisslen, Sweden’s state epidemiologist, revealed that the patient contracted the virus during a trip to a region in Africa experiencing a major outbreak of mpox Clade I. Gisslen assured the public that “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.”
• The patient sought medical assistance in Stockholm and has since received appropriate care.

Global Public Health Emergency:

• The WHO declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years on Wednesday, following a surge of cases in the DRC that spread to neighboring countries.
• WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern over the situation, stating, “The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighboring countries are very worrying.” He emphasized the need for a “coordinated international response” to control these outbreaks and save lives.

Impact and Response:

• The WHO has also invited manufacturers of mpox vaccines to submit an expression of interest for Emergency Use Listing (EUL) due to the rising number of cases in Africa. The organization’s actions reflect the urgency of addressing the spread of this more contagious mpox variant.
• The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared mpox a public health emergency on the continent on Tuesday, further highlighting the severity of the situation.

Understanding Mpox:

• Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral infection that spreads primarily through close contact with an infected person or animal. Transmission can occur via 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 bites, scratches, or direct contact with the animal’s bodily fluids.
• Symptoms generally appear 5 to 21 days after exposure and may include fever, headache, muscle aches, back pain, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and exhaustion. A distinctive rash often begins on the face before spreading to other parts of the body, progressing through stages of macules, papules, vesicles, pustules, and eventually crusts, which later fall off.
• According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), individuals with mpox can spread the virus from the onset of symptoms until all lesions have completely healed, the scabs have fallen off, and a new layer of skin has formed. The infectious period typically lasts 2 to 4 weeks.

Sources:

• https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/declared-global-public-health-emergency-first-case-of-deadly-mpox-reported-outside-africa-101723737515998.html
• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/8/15/sweden-confirms-first-case-of-mpox-strain-outside-africa#:~:text=Swedish%20officials%20say%20they%20have,more%20dangerous%20variant%20of%20mpox.&text=Sweden%20says%20it%20has%20confirmed,dangerous%20variant%20of%20the%20disease.