Monkeypox in Europe – what you need to know now

Spread the love

Read Time:2 Minute, 4 Second

Previously only widespread in Africa, a new variant of the monkeypox virus has now made it to Europe, which is what you need to know.

On Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global smallpox emergency for the second time in two years. The authority is particularly concerned about a new variant of the Mpox virus: clade Ib (Roman 1 b). This variant has spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries such as Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, triggering the WHO’s measures.

Sweden has now reported the first European case of Clade Ib. The person concerned is undergoing treatment. “The emergence of a case on the European continent could lead to a rapid international spread of Mpox,” said Lawrence Gostin, a public health expert and professor at Georgetown Law in Washington. “One case in Sweden most likely means dozens of undetected cases in Europe.”

Mpox was first detected in humans in 1970 the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The virus has been circulating in the Central African country for decades, and the sick have mostly contracted it from infected animals. The disease used to be known as monkeypox. To avoid stigmatization, the WHO renamed it Mpox.
According to the WHO, the “clade Ib” variant discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo in September 2023 is more contagious and deadlier than the previous ones. It is spreading exponentially in some countries. Around ten percent of infected children die, compared to three percent of adults.

The virus variant “clade Ib,” in contrast to its predecessor, clade II, leads to more severe symptoms. For example, a more severe skin rash all over the body, whereas the previous variants only affected individual body parts such as the mouth, face, or genitals. In addition to abscesses and ulcers, fever is a typical disease symptom. The virus is mainly transmitted through skin contact and bodily fluids.

The new Ib variant has recently spread in the Congo and several neighboring countries, especially in refugee camps. There have also been outbreaks in other African countries. In May 2022, 111 countries worldwide were affected. The majority of those infected are children under the age of 15. Non-heterosexual men also often fall ill.

Several vaccines exist. They were initially developed against classic smallpox but also protect against Mpox. Antiviral drugs can also help in the event of an infection. However, there is a lack of both in the countries that are mainly affected.