The inaugural case of a novel monkeypox variant has been reported in the stunning, icy landscapes of Sweden.
According to the meticulous Swedish Public Health Agency, an individual residing in the bustling city of Stockholm has been diagnosed with this new strain of monkeypox.
This unfortunate victim recently traveled to an African region where this monkeypox variant is known to be widespread. In contrast, the news agency clarifies that this represents the very first instance of the mpox variant clade 1B being documented outside African nations.
Clade Ib, the strain of the virus behind the current outbreak, is a new variant of clade I that is endemic in the Congo. Clade Ib appears to spread more easily through routine close contact, including sexual contact.
Clade I mpox tends to cause a higher number of severe infections and have a higher mortality rate than clade II mpox, according to US health officials.
The World Health Organization confirmed that a case of the viral infection mpox in Sweden was linked to an outbreak in Africa.
Alarmingly, the dissemination of the M. pox clade 1B variant originated in the dense, vibrant jungles of Congo back in September 2023. Shockingly, the report states that since the onset of this monkeypox outbreak, a devastating number of 548 people have lost their lives in Congo.
In response to this crisis, the World Health Organization has urgently declared monkeypox a global health emergency.