The first case of a new, more contagious variant of monkeypox outside the African continent was confirmed on Thursday in the region, including Stockholm. According to Swedish authorities, a patient is a person who has previously been to a place where an outbreak of the disease occurred.
A new variant of the mpox virus, considered more contagious and deadly, is currently spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other West African countries.
In Sweden, 300 cases of another, less dangerous variant of monkeypox have been recorded since 2022.
Sweden’s Minister of Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed announced on Thursday that ahead of the holidays, the government has ordered the Public Health Office to supply vaccines and medicines against the monkeypox virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday that outbreaks of monkeypox in Congo and other African countries constitute a “public health emergency of international concern”. Outbreaks are now occurring in several countries, affecting both adults and children, and more than 500 people have died.
Monkeypox is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by a virus transmitted through close contact. The infection causes flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headaches, and muscle aches; pus-filled lesions also appear on the body, making it difficult to distinguish monkeypox from chickenpox.
