EU health agency: Europe must prepare for more cases of Mpox
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the highest level of alert on Wednesday due to the spread of the new Mpox variant 1b in several African countries. On Thursday, Sweden reported the first case of infection with the virus variant 1b in Europe, involving a traveler returning from the affected part of Africa.
The EU's health agency, ECDC, urged EU member states on Friday to prepare for further infections. The appearance of more "imported" cases is "very likely," and the risk to the EU population has increased due to the rapid spread of the virus in Africa, explained ECDC director Pamela Rendi-Wagner.
In Pakistan, it is still unclear which virus strain is involved in the case. It is the "first confirmed case of Mpox this year," said a spokesperson for the health authorities in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The disease, known for decades as monkeypox, can be transmitted from animals to humans through close contact, such as sexual contact. Experts are particularly concerned about the 1b virus strain circulating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and some other African countries. So far this year, the Congolese government has reported 548 deaths and over 15,600 suspected infections.
The confirmed case in Sweden shows how interconnected different world regions are, explained the WHO's European regional office. It is important not to stigmatize certain countries, regions, or travelers in the face of the Mpox outbreak: "Travel restrictions and border closures do not work and should be avoided," the WHO emphasized.
China announced on Friday that it would tighten border controls due to Mpox. People entering from affected countries will now have to undergo medical examinations upon arrival. Vehicles, containers, and goods from affected areas will be disinfected upon import.
Originally, Mpox affected animals, with the virus jumping to humans through the consumption of infected meat. Symptoms include pox-like skin lesions, fever, and muscle aches.
Effective vaccines against Mpox exist. While they were widely used in Western countries during the 2022 infection wave, they are still hardly available in Africa. The vaccine manufacturer Bavarian Nordic currently has a stockpile of 500,000 doses and is ready to produce up to 10 million doses by 2025. Bavarian Nordic has also reportedly applied to the EU's drug agency EMA to approve the vaccine for use in children aged 12 to 17.
The EU's member states were advised by the EU's health agency, ECDC, to prepare for potential further infections of the Mpox variant 1b, as the risk to the EU population has increased due to the virus's rapid spread in Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that travel restrictions and border closures are not effective in combating the Mpox outbreak and should be avoided.
