Sweden reports first mpox case caused by clade I outside of Africa
A person who sought care in Region Stockholm has been found to have mpox caused by the virus variant clade I. The case is the first caused by clade I that has been diagnosed outside the African continent.
The individual was infected during a stay in a part of Africa where the spread of mpox clade I is ongoing. The person in Sweden who has been confirmed to be infected has received treatment, says Magnus Gisslén, state epidemiologist at the Public Health Authority.
"This case does not require any additional infection control measures in itself, but we take the outbreak of clade I mpox very seriously," said Dr. Gisslen, "We are closely monitoring the outbreak and we are continuously assessing whether new measures are needed."
Mpox declared a Public Health Emergency by Africa CDC
Clade I causes the same basic disease of mpox as clade IIb, the variant that previously occurred in Sweden, but is likely linked to a higher risk of more severe course and higher mortality. The previous global outbreak with the virus variant Clade IIb was mainly spread via sexual contacts, while clade I is now spread to a greater extent through other contact routes, mainly close contacts within the household and then often to children.
Just yesterday, the World Health Organization determined that the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR).
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In declaring the PHEIC, Dr Tedros said, "The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighbouring countries are very worrying. On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives.”