STOCKHOLM/CHICAGO –
The World Health Organization on Thursday confirmed that a case of the viral infection mpox in Sweden was linked to an outbreak in Africa, the first sign of its spread outside the continent a day after the WHO declared the disease a global public health emergency.
Swedish health officials said at a press conference that the person was infected while in Africa with the clade Ib type of mpox involved in the recent outbreak. The person is receiving treatment.
“This case in Sweden is a warning call for public health authorities to be vigilant and implement robust surveillance and contact-tracing strategies to detect possible new cases early on,” Dr. Jonas Albarnaz, an expert in pox viruses at The Pirbright Institute, said in a statement.
Dr. Brian Ferguson of the University of Cambridge said the case in a Swedish traveler was concerning but not surprising, given the severity and spread of …