Sweden Confirms First Case Of Mpox Outside Africa Amid Global Public Health Emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years, following outbreak in Africa.

After the World Health Organisation declared mpox a global health emergency, Sweden on Thursday confirmed its first case of mpox, a viral infection that spreads through close contact. WHO had made the announcement for the second time in two years, folloing an outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo that has since spread to other countries as well.

"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," Health and Social Affairs Minister Jakob Forssmed stated in a press conference, news agency Reuters reported.

Mpox is a viral infection that is generally mild but can turn to be fatal in rare cases. People who contract it experience flu-like symptoms with pus-filled lesions on the skin.

On Wednesday, an emergency meeting was held to discuss with the WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as to whether the mpox outbreak constitutes a "public health emergency of international concern," or PHEIC, reported Reuters.

PHEIC status is the highest alert level aimed at accelerating funding, research. and international public health measures and cooperation to contain a disease. 

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday: "The detection and rapid spread of a new clade of mpox in eastern DRC, its spread to neighboring countries that had not previously reported mpox, and the potential for further transmission within Africa and beyond is deeply concerning."

"It's clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives," the WHO chief added.

Initially, the outbreak in Congo involved an endemic strain named Clade I but later a new variant Clade Ib emerged. This strain spreads more easily through close contact, including sexual contact.

As of now, this new variant has spread beyond Congo to other nations including Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda, which led WHO to take prompt action.

Earlier this week, an mpox emergency was declared in Africa by its leading public health body, warning citizens of the viral infection's alarming spread.

This year, over 17,000 suspected mpox cases and over 500 deaths have been reported in Congo.