- The Authority expects more imported Mpox cases in Europe
The European Health Authority ECDC expects more people to arrive in Europe with the new Mpox variant. The agency based in Sweden announced this after the first Mpox case of the new variant outside the African continent was confirmed on Thursday in the Nordic country. The infected person had previously been in Africa.
However, the likelihood of sustained transmission in Europe is very low, provided imported cases are quickly diagnosed and control measures are implemented, ECDC said. The new variant is believed to be more infectious than previous ones and can cause a more severe infection. However, Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is generally not easily transmitted and requires direct contact.
The health authority recommends that European states issue travel advice for people traveling to or returning from affected areas. There is a moderate risk of infection for people who have close contact with individuals who may have imported an Mpox infection from Africa.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the highest alert level due to several Mpox outbreaks in Africa and the new potentially more dangerous variant.
Sweden has been identified as the location of the first confirmed case of the new Mpox variant outside Africa. Despite the suspected higher infectiousness and severity of the new variant, the probability of sustained transmission in Europe is relatively low with prompt diagnosis and control measures.
