VOINews, Europe: Europe may experience more imported cases of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, caused by Clade I of the virus, currently spreading in Africa. However, the risk of sustained transmission in Europe remains very low, according to a recent assessment released on Friday (August 16) by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
On Thursday (August 15), Swedish health authorities confirmed the first case of mpox Clade I in Sweden. This case also marks the first diagnosis of Clade I outside of Africa, according to the Swedish Public Health Agency.
Despite this, Magnus Gisslen, Chief Epidemiologist at the Swedish Public Health Agency, assured the public that the mpox Clade I variant currently poses a low risk of becoming a widespread epidemic, unlike the early days of COVID-19 in 2019.
In an interview with a Swedish television station aired on Friday, Gisslen emphasized that mpox is a well-understood virus with established preventive measures. Helena Hervious Askling, an infectious disease and vaccination specialist at Karolinska Institutet Medical University in Sweden, pointed out that mpox Clade I is significantly different from COVID-19. Unlike the novel coronavirus, mpox Clade I is not airborne and requires close contact with an infected person for transmission. Moreover, effective vaccines are available.
The patient diagnosed with the first mpox Clade I case in Sweden is reportedly in stable condition. Maria Rotzen Ostlund, an infection control physician in the Stockholm region, stated that initial contact tracing has effectively contained the risk of a broader outbreak.
The primary focus at present is on managing the outbreak in Congo, where the disease is causing the most severe problems, according to Askling.
On the same Friday, Swedish media reported that the government's Strategic Coordination Group (GSS) is scheduled to meet soon to discuss the health implications of mpox. This group, which includes various ministries, has previously dealt with multiple security and health crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although the risk of a pandemic is low, Niklas Arnberg, a professor of virology at Umea University in northern central Sweden, emphasized the need for ongoing research and knowledge development. While the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic are invaluable, there are still gaps in comprehensive understanding and tools for managing potential pandemic threats./Antara/VOI
