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Around ten days ago, WHO has added mpox to its list of dangerous pathogens. Faced with the resurgence of this viral disease, the World Health Organization has had to move up a level by launching its highest level of global alert. Concerns about the spread of mpox are growing.
Today, the new variant of the virus, even more contagious and more dangerous, has been diagnosed in Europe. This is a first outside Africa.
Other cases to be reported in Europe soon?
MPOX continues to spread rapidly in Africa, and even outside the continent. Since January 2022, more than 30,000 cases have been diagnosed in 16 African countries. In total, nearly 1,500 deaths have been reported. More than 500 deaths have been recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the beginning of the year.
For the first time ever, a person living in Europe has been diagnosed as carrying the clade 1 subtype of the MPOX virus. She lives more precisely in the Stockholm region of Sweden. This 1b variant is more contagious and more dangerous. It causes generalized rashes all over the body, and no longer just on the mouth, face or genitals. The mortality rate of the virus is estimated at 3.6%.
The infected person reported in Sweden has received all necessary care. He or she is believed to have been exposed to the virus after a recent trip to Africa. According to the Swedish Public Health Agency, the fact that a “person is being treated for mpox in the country does not pose a risk to the rest of the population”. However, the WHO expects further cases to be reported in Europe in the coming days and weeks.
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Initially, mpox is transmitted from animals to humans following direct contact with blood, body fluids, skin lesions or even mucous membranes of deceased animals, such as Gambian rats, monkeys or Smith's squirrels. The virus is also transmissible through close physical contact with an infected person, which can accelerate its spread.
To deal with this, a large vaccination campaign seems to be the only solution and a real priority. But only 200,000 doses of vaccine are available on the African continent, the cradle of mpox… Where 10 million are needed. However, pharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic has said it is ready to produce up to 10 million doses of vaccines by 2025.
- Mpox (monkey pox) continues to spread in Africa, and outside the continent
- The new variant of the virus, even more contagious and more dangerous, has been diagnosed in Europe for the first time
- Other European cases are expected in the coming weeks according to the WHO
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