Sweden confirmed its first case of the fast-spreading variant yesterday.
Following the announcement from the World Health Organisation on Wednesday declaring the spread of a new strain of the Mpox virus a ‘global emergency’, we thought it might be a good idea to outline some of the symptoms of the contagious disease.
On Wednesday, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations.
Yesterday, Sweden’s public health agency confirmed their first case of a contagious variant of Mpox, the first recorded outside of Africa.
The infected person is believed to have picked up the variant during a stay in Africa.
Health and Social Affairs Minister Jakob Forssmed told a news conference: “We have now also during the afternoon had confirmation that we have one case in Sweden of the more grave type of mpox, the one called Clade I.”
It’s the second time in three years that an mpox epidemic has been designated as a global emergency.
The viral disease occurs mostly in central and western Africa, with the most recent outbreak spreading across 13 countries, including some that have never reported mpox cases before.
According to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, mpox was first identified in laboratory monkeys and was previously known as monkeypox.
In 2022 it was renamed by the WHO after receiving complaints that the original name was ‘racist and stigmatising’.
BREAKING: Sweden says it has confirmed a first case of mpox
— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 15, 2024
More: https://t.co/9hHE89nJ4v
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/NT4MlifVs4
UK health chiefs have reiterated the risk level to the UK and welcomed the move from the WHO to ‘release funding to accelerate vaccine access for lower-income countries and support surveillance, preparedness and response activities’.
Dr Meera Chand, Deputy Director at UKHSA, said: “The risk to the UK population is currently considered low. However, planning is underway to prepare for any cases that we might see in the UK.
“This includes ensuring that clinicians are aware and able to recognise cases promptly, that rapid testing is available, and that protocols are developed for the safe clinical care of people who have the infection and the prevention of onward transmission.”
Common symptoms of mpox include a skin rash or pus-filled lesions which can last two to four weeks, according to the UKHSA.
It also can cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.
The infection can be passed on through contact with someone who has the infection or with infected animals, adds the NHS.
A rash usually appears one to five days after the first symptoms. The rash often begins on the face, then spreads to other parts of the body. This can include the mouth, genitals and anus. There may also be anal pain or bleeding from the bottom.
The rash is sometimes confused with chickenpox. It starts as raised spots, which turn into small blisters filled with fluid. These blisters eventually form scabs which later fall off.
The symptoms usually clear up in a few weeks. While you have symptoms, you can pass mpox on to other people.
Related links:
Anyone can get mpox, says the NHS. It can be passed through people by any close physical contact with mpox blisters or scabs (including during sexual contact, kissing, cuddling or holding hands).
Other avenues of transmission include touching clothing, bedding or towels used by someone with mpox, and the coughs or sneezes of a person with mpox when they’re close to you.
Currently, there is no treatment approved specifically for mpox but for most patients with mpox who have intact immune systems and don’t have a skin disease, supportive care and pain control will help them recover without medical treatment, according to the CDC.
A two-dose vaccine has been developed to protect against the virus, which is widely available in Western countries but not in Africa.
Scientists from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention say they need more than 10 million vaccines but there are currently only 200,000 available.
