Sweden confirmed its first case of Mpox on Thursday (15 August), which is also the first case found outside Africa. Just a day before, the World Health Organization has declared this disease a global public health emergency for the second time in two years.
person infected from Africa
Olivia Wigzell, director general of the Swedish Public Health Agency, said in a press conference that the infected person contracted the virus while living in a part of Africa, where the disease is widespread.
Mpox is spread by close contact. WHO has declared it a health emergency after a more serious type of disease in Congo spread to surrounding countries. Sweden’s health minister said, ‘It was confirmed in the afternoon that there is a case of a more serious type of mpox, called Clade-I, in Sweden.’
UN reiterated WHO’s warning
UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq on Thursday reiterated the World Health Organization’s announcement, calling the Mpox virus a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern’. He said WHO is also warning about the possibility of the Mpox virus spreading to Africa and possibly countries outside the continent.
17 thousand cases so far this year in Africa
A variant of the mpox virus—clade IIB—spread worldwide in 2022, primarily through sexual contact between men who have sex with men. Then WHO declared a public health emergency, which ended after about 10 months.
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said more than 17,000 suspected mpox cases and 517 deaths have been recorded on the African continent so far this year, a 160 percent increase in cases compared to last year. Cases have been reported in a total of 13 countries.
What are the symptoms of Mpox?
Mpox has smallpox-like symptoms, including fever, headache, muscle pain, and a distinctive rash, which often starts on the face and spreads to other parts of the body. The virus spreads to humans through direct contact with infected animals, bodily fluids or contaminants, and can also spread from person to person through respiratory droplets or touch.
Symptoms of mumps last for 2 to 4 weeks. Mpox is usually mild and rarely fatal. It also causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled wounds on the body.
Most people experience mild symptoms, but in some people the disease can be more serious, requiring medical care. Children, pregnant women and people with weak immunity (ability to fight diseases) are generally at higher risk of virus infection.