As Sweden reports 1st mpox case, EU health agency warns Europe must prepare for more infections

Aug. 16, 2024, 1:26 p.m.

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After Sweden reported the Europe’s first mpox infection, the European Union (EU) urged member-states to prepare for more cases — even as it maintained that the overall risk of mpox was ’low'.

This development comes just days after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the mpox outbreak in Africa a global health emergency. In Africa, the mpox virus has infected over 14,000 people and claimed the lives of more than 500 individuals this year.

Advertisement Following the WHO’s declaration, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said that even as the overall risk for the general population in the EU and European Economic Area (EAA) remained ’low’, it “recommends that public health authorities in the EU/EEA maintain high levels of preparedness planning and awareness-raising activities to enable rapid detection and response”, according to AFP.

The ECDC said more imported cases of mpox in Europe were “very likely”.

“Due to the close links between Europe and Africa, we must be prepared for more imported clade I cases,” said ECDC Director Pamela Rendi-Wagner.

Mpox is a viral infection that manifests with rashes and sores on the body. It belongs to the same family of viral diseases as smallpox. Transmission occurs through close personal contact, including physical and sexual contact, with an infected individual or animal. It can also spread through bites or scratches from an infected animal or by consuming the meat of an infected animal.

The current wave of infections and deaths is being driven by a new and more dangerous strain of mpox — Clade 1b. This year's outbreak differs from the 2022 outbreak as the majority of victims are children, and most lesions are located in the genital areas rather than on arms and legs, making them harder to identify. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that 70 per cent of cases in Congo are among children under 15 and 85 per cent of deaths are also among children, according to the Associated Press.

Besides Sweden, Pakistan has also reported a case of mpox outside of Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) has already issued a warning about the possibility of more mpox infections being imported into Europe.

Advertisement The ECDC has said that the likelihood of infection for people from Europe “travelling to affected areas who have close contact with affected communities is high”, according to AFP.

“Additionally, there is a moderate risk for close contacts of possible or confirmed imported cases” to Europe, said the ECDC.