Sweden reports first case of Mpox strain outside Africa day after WHO declare it global health emergency

Sweden has reported the first case of Mpox strain outside Africa. This comes a day after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the mpox outbreaks in Congo and elsewhere in Africa a global emergency. Cases were confirmed among children and adults in more than a dozen countries and a new form of the virus spreading.

The Swedish public health agency said in a statement the patient recently sought health care in Stockholm. “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 agency said.

Mpox mostly spreads via close contact with infected people, including through sex. The global health body said there have been more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths in more than a dozen countries across Africa this year. So far, more than 96% of all cases and deaths are in a single country -- Congo.

(With inputs from agency)

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