A Case of 'Variant Emfox' Detected in Sweden... First Outside the African Continent

On the 15th (local time), a case of variant Mpox (MPOX, formerly known as monkeypox) infection was reported in Sweden, according to foreign media including the British daily The Guardian. This is the first case of variant infection outside the African continent, raising concerns about the spread of Mpox in Europe.

On the same day, Swedish health authorities confirmed that "a person receiving treatment in Stockholm was infected with the Mpox virus 'subclade 1b'," adding that "this is the first confirmed case of subclade 1b infection outside the African continent."

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to health authorities, the patient was infected while visiting the African region where the variant Mpox outbreak occurred. Authorities stated, "The patient is currently receiving treatment," and "Sweden is prepared to safely diagnose, isolate, and treat Mpox patients."

The variant Mpox is known to have higher transmissibility and fatality rates than the Mpox that spread in 2022. Lawrence Gostin, a public health expert and professor at Georgetown Law School in the U.S., said, "The Mpox case in Sweden likely indicates dozens of undetected cases in Europe," and "it could facilitate the international spread of Mpox."

The day before, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the highest level of public health alert. This comes one year and three months after the PHEIC was lifted in May last year. According to WHO, more than 14,000 confirmed cases and 524 deaths have occurred in over 12 African countries this year. However, most infections and deaths are concentrated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Mpox was endemic to Central and Western Africa but began spreading worldwide from May 2022. Infection often causes vesicular rash symptoms and can induce acute fever, headache, and muscle pain. According to the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Mpox has occurred in at least 16 of the 55 countries on the African continent.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.