On Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) cautioned that Europe could see more imported cases of a new, more dangerous strain of mpox following Sweden’s announcement of the first infection outside Africa in a wave of cases that has led to hundreds of deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
This case in Sweden was reported just one day after the WHO designated the surge of mpox cases in Africa as a public health emergency of international concern—the highest level of alarm it can issue.
The UN health agency expressed concern about the increasing number of cases and deaths in the DRC, along with the spread of the outbreak to neighboring countries like Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Sweden’s Public Health Agency informed AFP that it had identified a case of the Clade 1b subclade, the same variant that has been rapidly spreading in the DRC since September 2023.
According to a separate statement from the agency, “A person who sought care” in Stockholm “has been diagnosed with mpox caused by the clade 1 variant. It is the first case caused by clade I to be diagnosed outside the African continent,” the agency said in a separate statement.
The person was infected during a visit to “the part of Africa where there is a major outbreak of mpox Clade 1”, state epidemiologist Magnus Gisslen said in the statement.
The agency noted, “The fact that a patient with mpox is treated in the country does not affect the risk to the general population, a risk that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control currently considers very low.”
The WHO’s European office in Copenhagen stated that it was in discussions with Swedish health authorities on how to best manage this newly identified case.
“The confirmation of mpox Clade 1 in Sweden is a clear reflection of the interconnectedness of our world,” it said in a statement.
“There are likely to be further imported cases of Clade 1 in the European region over the coming days and weeks, and it is imperative that we don’t stigmatise travellers or countries/regions.”
“Travel restrictions and border closures don’t work and should be avoided,” it highlighted .
The statement further advised against travel restrictions and border closures, asserting that such measures are ineffective and should be avoided.
548 Deaths in the DRC
The outbreak remains concentrated in the DRC.
Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba reported in a video message that the country has documented 15,664 probable cases and 548 deaths since the start of the year, with all 26 provinces affected.
With a population of roughly 100 million, the DRC has implemented a “national strategic plan for mpox vaccination” and enhanced disease surveillance at borders and checkpoints.
Furthermore, Kamba stated that government working groups have been established to enhance contact tracing and mobilize resources to “maintain control of this epidemic”.
Originally known as monkeypox, the virus was first identified in monkeys during research in Denmark in 1958 and was later discovered in humans in 1970 in what is now known as the DRC.
Mpox is an infectious illness caused by a virus that can be transmitted from infected animals to humans and can also spread from person to person through close contact. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, and large, boil-like skin lesions.
Vaccination Efforts
On Wednesday, the US Department of Health announced it would be “donating 50,000 doses of the FDA-approved JYNNEOS vaccine to the DRC.”
“Vaccination will be critical to addressing this outbreak,” the department stated.
Meanwhile, Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic has indicated its capacity to produce up to 10 million doses of a vaccine targeting mpox by 2025.
There are two virus subtypes: the more fatal Clade 1, endemic to the Congo Basin in central Africa, and Clade 2, found primarily in West Africa.
In May 2022, mpox infections surged globally, particularly impacting gay and bisexual men, largely due to the Clade 2b subclade.
The WHO announced a public health emergency that lasted from July 2022 until May 2023.
That outbreak, which has now mostly subsided, resulted in approximately 140 deaths among around 90,000 reported cases.
The Clade 1b subclade is noted to cause more severe illnesses than Clade 2b, with a higher fatality rate.
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