First case of severe monkeypox diagnosed in Europe

Another dangerous virus is reaching Europe. The WHO has declared a public health emergency of international concern, and the first person with type two mpox has been diagnosed in Sweden. Is there anything to be afraid of?

The situation on the international health scene has probably never been stable. In 2019, the world was overrun by Covid-19, taking millions of lives and forcing people to change their lifestyles completely. Previously, society was decimated by the plague, smallpox, cholera, typhoid, or syphilis. Currently, the World Health Organization is paying special attention to a new strain of pox: monkeypox, a virus transmitted by animals whose infection source is in Africa.

On 15 August 2024, the Swedish Minister of Health and Social Affairs officially announced the detection of the first severe case of monkeypox in Sweden. Minister Jakob Forssmed said during a press 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 1."

The Swedish patient is the first European diagnosed with monkeypox. The infected person is suspected of contracting the type 2 mpox virus in Africa.

On 14 August 2024, the World Health Organization held a press conference on monkeypox, also known as mpox. During the meeting, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus informed us that an emergency committee had gathered information about the new virus. Ghebreyesus said: "The potential for further spread of the virus beyond Africa is very concerning." The WHO Director-General added that due to the spread of mpox, the organisation is declaring a "public health emergency of international concern".

Currently, one of the hotspots for monkeypox is the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the number of mpox cases increased by 160 per cent compared to last year. In 70 per cent of cases, the disease affects children under 15 years of age, with a mortality rate of 85 per cent. It is estimated that the new version of the virus has a mortality rate of 3-4 per cent. Monkeypox is primarily transmitted sexually, but virologists have conducted studies indicating that the disease can also be contracted through close skin contact with an infected person or through respiratory droplets. Scientists warn that the mutated mpox virus could lead to a mortality rate of 10 per cent.

What are the symptoms of monkeypox infection? In many cases, the course of the disease is similar to that of the flu, with fever, muscle and head pain, and swollen lymph nodes. Additionally, the sick person develops purulent skin lesions resembling spots. These can appear on the feet, face, hands, or intimate areas.