This case in Sweden is a warning call for public health authorities to be vigilant and implement robust surveillance and contact-tracing strategies to detect possible new cases early on,
Vaccination will be a critical element of the response to this outbreak,
Travel restrictions and border closures don't work and should be avoided,
Approximately 300 cases of mpox have previously been identified in Sweden, all linked to the global outbreak of the clade IIb virus variant,
There are two vaccines for mpox that have been approved by WHO-listed national regulatory authorities, and which are recommended by WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization, or SAGE."
Mpox is classified as dangerous to public health which means that there is a preparedness for infection control measures such as tracing, testing and rules of conduct. Sweden also has access to vaccines and antivirals,
In this case a person has been infected during a stay in the part of Africa where there is a major outbreak of (the more infectious mpox),
The confirmation of mpox Clade 1 in Sweden is a clear reflection of the interconnectedness of our world... there are likely to be further imported cases of Clade 1 in the European region over the coming days and weeks,
The fact that a patient with mpox is treated in the country does not affect the risk to the general population,
This case does not warrant any further infection control measures per se, but we take the outbreak of mpox clade I very seriously. We are monitoring it closely and continuously assessing whether new measures are needed,
The detection and rapid spread of a new clade of mpox in eastern DRC, its spread to neighboring countries that had not previously reported mpox, and the potential for further transmission within Africa and beyond is deeply concerning."
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,
A person who sought care” in Stockholm “has been diagnosed with mpox caused by the clade I variant. It is the first case caused by clade I to be diagnosed outside the African continent,
On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives,