Sweden records its first case of Clade 1 strain of monkeypox outside Africa
Date
8/18/2024 8:15:14 AM
(MENAFN) Sweden has recorded its first case of the Clade 1 strain of monkeypox outside Africa, according to a statement from Stockholm’s health authorities. This development comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a public health emergency of international concern due to the resurgence of the virus.
Olivia Wigzell, acting head of the Swedish public health agency, revealed that the infected individual contracted the virus during travel to an area in Africa with an ongoing outbreak of Clade 1 monkeypox. The strain, referred to as "mpox" by the WHO since November 2022 to reduce stigma, was first identified in Kamituga, a mining town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, last September. Cases have since been reported in Rwanda, Burundi, and Kenya.
While the Clade 1 strain, which includes Clade 1b, is associated with a higher risk of severe disease and mortality compared to Clade 2, the Swedish authorities have assured that there is no immediate risk to the general public. Clade 1 is generally transmitted through close household contact and can affect children, whereas Clade 2, the strain more commonly observed, is primarily spread through sexual contact.
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