Mpox case in Sweden raises fears of further spread in Europe

LONDON – This week's announcement that a new variant of the Mpox virus had been discovered in Sweden was the first indication that the disease has disappeared from Africa, where it has caused an escalating crisis in Congo.

Thursday's announcement about the disease, formerly known as monkeypox, came just a day after the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency, confirming fears that further spread was inevitable. The sick person in Sweden had traveled to an area affected by the disease.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said it was “very likely” that more imported cases would be confirmed, mainly due to frequent travel between Europe and Africa. The centre advised member countries to step up their preparations and issue travel alerts advising people travelling to affected areas to check whether they are eligible for vaccination.

Pamela Rendi-Wagner, director of the ECDC, warned that as long as the outbreak in Africa is not under control, cases will continue to occur in Europe and North America.

“We have to be concerned, even outside Africa, because as the numbers increase and the spread increases, the likelihood of cases reaching Europe and the United States will increase,” Rendi-Wagner said in an interview on Friday.

The ECDC on Friday raised the risk of infection with the new variant in the European Union from “very low” to “low”, but stressed that travellers to and from the affected areas of Africa must take precautions and are at high risk.

Two doses of the MPOX vaccine Jynneos from Danish pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic, which is used against the 2022 variant, should protect against all variants of the virus, experts said.

As with many other infections, most people with healthy immune systems are unlikely to become seriously ill with Mpox.

The European Union said on Wednesday it would donate more than 175,000 doses of the Mpox vaccine to African countries, Bavarian Nordic will donate 40,000 doses to be distributed by the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the United States will donate 50,000 doses. France also said it would donate vaccine to affected African countries.

This article originally appeared in the New York Times.