WHO confirms first case of mpox outside of Africa as outbreak spreads

The World Health Organization confirmed on Thursday that a case of monkeypox in Sweden is linked to an outbreak in Africa. This is the first sign of the spread of the disease outside the African continent, a day after the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency.

Details:

Swedish health officials announced that the person had contracted monkeypox type Ib in Africa. This person is being treated.
Dr. Jonah Albarnaz, an expert on smallpox viruses at the Pirbright Institute, warned that this case in Sweden is a wake-up call for public health authorities to be vigilant and implement strong surveillance and contact tracing strategies to identify potential new cases early.
Dr Brian Ferguson from the University of Cambridge said the case in a Swedish traveler was worrying but not surprising given the severity and spread of the outbreak in Africa.
The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared an outbreak of monkeypox in Africa a public health emergency of international concern after cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo spread to neighboring countries.
The Global Vaccine Group told Reuters it would spend up to $500 million to vaccinate countries affected by the monkeypox outbreak in Africa.
American and Canadian officials announced that they have not identified any cases so far.
"This is the first case of monkeypox type Ib reported outside of the African continent," CDC spokesman David Deagle said.
CDC recently issued a Health Network Alert Update and a Travel Health Notice to inform US physicians, travelers, and public health partners about the spread of monkeypox type I to countries that have historically not reported cases of monkeypox.
Monkeypox type Ib, the virus strain responsible for the current outbreak, is a new type of smallpox type I that is endemic to the Congo.
Monkeypox type I tends to cause more severe infections and has a higher mortality rate than monkeypox type II.
In 2022, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency for an outbreak of monkeypox type II, which resulted in more than 95,000 cases in 115 non-endemic countries.
Conclusion:

The confirmation of the first case of monkeypox outside of Africa is an alarm for the global community and indicates the spread of the disease to other regions. Health organizations are monitoring the situation and taking necessary measures to control the outbreak.

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