The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning about the potential for an increase in dangerous mpox cases in Europe. This alert comes after Sweden reported its first case of the new, more severe mpox strain, Clade 1b, which has been causing a significant outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The case in Sweden was confirmed just after the WHO declared the mpox surge in Africa a public health emergency of international concern. The strain, which has resulted in hundreds of deaths in the DRC, has now spread to Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Sweden’s Public Health Agency confirmed that the infection was contracted during travel to the DRC, the epicenter of the outbreak. Despite this, the agency maintains that the risk to the general population in Europe remains very low.
The WHO’s European regional office is collaborating with Swedish authorities to manage the situation and emphasizes that the interconnectedness of the world may lead to more imported cases in Europe. The organization advises against travel restrictions and stigma towards affected regions.
In response to the outbreak, the DRC has recorded 15,664 potential cases and 548 deaths across all 26 provinces. The government has implemented a national vaccination strategy and improved surveillance measures.
The US Department of Health has pledged 50,000 doses of the JYNNEOS vaccine to aid the DRC, and Danish drugmaker Bavarian Nordic is preparing to produce up to 10 million doses by 2025. Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, causes fever, muscle aches, and skin lesions and is transmitted through close contact with infected individuals or animals.
