Sweden confirms first case of monkeypox

(Reuters) – Sweden on Thursday confirmed its first case of monkeypox, or mpox, which is also the first outside Africa, a day after the WHO declared the disease a global public health emergency for the second time in two years.

The person became infected during his stay in an area of ​​Africa where there was a large outbreak of the disease, Olivia Wigzell, director general of the Swedish Public Health Agency, declared at a press conference.

The World Health Organization made his announcement about monkeypox – which spreads through close contact – after an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo spread a more serious type of the disease to nearby countries.

“We have now also had confirmation during the afternoon that we have a case in Sweden of the most serious type of mpox, the so-called Clade I,” Health and Social Affairs Minister Jakob Forssmed said at the press conference.

Wigzell said the infected person had received care and instructions in accordance with the health agency’s recommendations.

“The case is the first caused by Clade I to be diagnosed outside the African continent. “The affected person has also been infected during a stay in an area of ​​Africa where there is a large outbreak of mpox Clade I,” he said.