Sweden was the first nation outside of Africa to report a case of the mpox (formerly monkeypox) virus, it was made public on Thursday.
This new contagious variant of mpox was recorded by the Swedish authorities, as a man who had recently visited a hotspot of the disease in Africa returned to Sweden and sought medical assistance.
The strain that Sweden reported on Thursday is Clade I, a much more contagious version of a virus that causes a serious disease.
The announcement from the Scandinavian nation came just one day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox an international public health emergency.
This is the second time the WHO has warned about mpox, following an extensive outbreak that began years ago in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and later spread to many neighboring countries.
During a press briefing on Thursday, Sweden’s Minister of Health and Social Affairs, Jakob Forssmed said that his ministry has now received confirmation “of one case in Sweden involving the more severe strain of mpox, referred to as Clade I.”
What concerned the Swedish and therefore European authorities is that this Clade I strain is believed to be linked to a higher mortality rate compared to the original strain of the virus.
It is also believed to cause more severe symptoms compared to the Clade II strain that resulted in the global outbreak in 2022.
What is the mpox virus that Sweden reported today?
Mpox had been formerly known as monkeypox. It is a viral disease caused by the so-called monkeypox virus, which belongs to the same family as smallpox. Smallpox primarily affects children.
The mpox virus was first discovered decades ago. More specifically, in 1958, scientists discovered this new virus when multiple outbreaks were reported in monkey colonies that were the focus of a research study.
Nonetheless, for years, it was believed that this virus could not affect humans. The very first human case was recorded in the distant 1970s in the DRC.
Mpox can be transmitted between animals and humans, with African rodents and non-human primates suspected to be the primary source of the disease.
The symptoms of this disease are characterized by experts as particularly unpleasant. The main symptoms include painful rashes, enlarged lymph nodes, and a relentless fever. Fortunately, most people fully recover when infected.
Nonetheless, some individuals, particularly those with weakened immune systems, children under one-year-old, pregnant women, and people with a history of eczema, are at a higher risk of developing severe illness which could lead to serious health implications.
Greece already offering mpox vaccination
Greece Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis reminded people on Thursday with a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Greece offers an mpox vaccine for citizens.
“Vaccination against mpox type smallpox is available from July 22,” Georgiadis noted.
“Mpox is a rare viral infection caused by the mpox virus. The mpox virus is genetically similar to the smallpox virus but less contagious and with milder symptoms,” the Greek minister told followers.
“The Jynneos vaccine is recommended for people aged 18 years and older who are at high risk of mpox infection and are in a high-risk category of people,” the minister said.