Sweden reports first case of more dangerous Mpox virus outside Africa – POLITICO

The European Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) will soon publish a new risk assessment on Mpox, the health authority said. In the meantime, more “isolated imported cases” could occur, it added.

Clade I of Mpox is associated with more severe disease and higher mortality rates than clade II, which was widespread during the 2022 outbreak that affected Europe and North America. Clade I also appears to affect children more frequently.

Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, told Times Radio today that Clade I is “almost certainly” already in the UK.

Clade I is spreading rapidly in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries, prompting the WHO to declare an international health emergency on Wednesday.

According to the WHO, the first known case of sexually transmitted Mpox clade I in the Democratic Republic of Congo involved a resident of Belgium who was likely exposed to the virus there. However, researchers later found no evidence that clade I was circulating in Belgium.