Deadly smallpox reaches Europe: first case detected in Sweden
16 August 2024 13:13
Sweden has recorded the first case of monkeypox virus infection after the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak a global health emergency. This was reported by The Telegraph, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
“We have confirmed that Sweden has a case of a more serious type of mpox, known as Clade I,” said Swedish Minister of Health and Social Affairs Jakob Forsmed.
The patient contracted the new strain of the virus in Africa. He is currently under observation and receiving treatment.
The Swedish Public Health Agency has assured that the country is ready to safely diagnose, isolate and treat patients with monkeypox.
The strain of monkeypox virus Ib that caused the current outbreak is a new variant of strain I, which is endemic in Congo. According to the agency, the new Clade I strain is a more dangerous form of the disease, characterised by higher severity and mortality.
The Clade I virus spreads more easily through normal close contact, including sexual contact.
The Clade I strain tends to cause more severe infections and has a higher mortality rate than Clade II smallpox.
Doctors note that monkeypox is mainly transmitted through close physical contact, as well as by talking or breathing near an infected person.
What are the symptoms of monkeypox?
The disease causes a characteristic rash with purulent blisters, fever, pain and aches, and is particularly dangerous for pregnant women.
The first symptoms of the disease are fever, headaches, swelling, back and muscle pain. When the fever subsides, a rash may appear, which often starts on the face and then spreads to other parts of the body, most often to the palms of the hands.
Over time, a scab forms in their place, which then falls off. Scars may form at the site of the rash. The infection usually resolves on its own and lasts from 14 to 21 days.
In serious cases, smallpox can affect the entire body, especially the mouth, eyes and genitals.
This is the second time in three years that the WHO has declared a smallpox epidemic, describing it as a global emergency. Previously, it happened in July 2022. Back then, the outbreak affected almost 100,000 people in 116 countries and killed about 200 people.
This time, the threat is more dangerous. Since the beginning of 2024, more than 14,000 smallpox cases and 524 deaths have been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo alone. In addition, the smallpox outbreak has spread to 13 countries in Africa, including several where no cases had ever been reported before.
