One Day After WHO Warning: First Case of 'Monkeypox' Confirmed Outside Africa

Global health officials confirmed on Thursday the first case of infection with a new strain of the Mpox virus, previously known as 'monkeypox,' in Sweden, linking it to the growing outbreak of this virus in Africa. This is the first indication of the spread of this Mpox strain outside the African continent. Swedish health officials stated at a press conference that the patient contracted the virus while in Africa, in line with the outbreak of the new strain in that continent, and the source is under treatment. The identification of the infection with this contagious Mpox strain occurred just one day after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a 'global health emergency.' This is the second time in three years that the WHO has designated the Mpox epidemic as a global health emergency. Since the beginning of this year, more than 14,000 cases of this disease and 524 deaths have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo alone. Officials from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that currently nearly 70% of the cases in Congo involve children under 15 years old, who account for 85% of the fatalities. Monkeypox, or Mpox, is a viral disease that can easily spread between people and also from infected animals. The WHO states that this disease can spread through close contact such as touching, kissing, or sexual relations, as well as through contaminated items like bedding, clothing, and needles. Unlike previous cases of Mpox outbreaks, where skin lesions were primarily visible on the chest, hands, and feet, the new form causes milder symptoms and lesions in the genital area. This makes diagnosis more difficult, and as a result, individuals may unknowingly infect others. The World Health Organization declared 'monkeypox' a 'global health emergency.' The WHO reported a 21% decrease in monkeypox cases worldwide. The first case of monkeypox in a dog has been identified, and the first case in Iran has also been reported.