By Barbra Nakiwala
Sweden has reported the first confirmed case of Mpox outside Africa, just as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the ongoing outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
The virus, linked to an escalating crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has claimed over 450 lives and continues to spread across central and Eastern Africa.
The infected individual, currently receiving treatment in Stockholm, reportedly contracted the disease during a stay in a region with a severe mpox outbreak, according to the Claud 1 agency.
Olivia Wigzell, the acting head of the Swedish Public Health Agency, reassured the public that the case poses no risk to the general population.
The case surfaces amidst a growing crisis in Africa, where the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is grappling with a devastating mpox outbreak.
Over 450 fatalities have been recorded so far, with the virus spreading rapidly across central and Eastern Africa, including into Burundi, Kenya, and Rwanda.
The outbreak is particularly concerning due to the emergence of the Clade 1b variant of the virus, which is noted for its increased severity.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently escalated the crisis by declaring it a public health emergency of international concern. Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is primarily spread through close contact and has a fatality rate of approximately 4%.
The disease is endemic to the tropical rainforests of West and Central Africa but is now making alarming inroads into new regions.
The confirmation of Clade 1b in Sweden underscores the global reach of this outbreak and the urgent need for coordinated international efforts to contain it. While Swedish health authorities maintain that the situation is under control, the case has heightened concerns about the virus’s potential to spread further into Europe and beyond.
