People should get vaccinated against mpox if travelling to an African country affected by the latest outbreak, the EU’s public health body has said.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has updated its advice after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global emergency following the detection of a more contagious strain of the virus in 16 African countries.
The outbreak of the strain – called clade 1b – was first detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The endemic form of the virus, clade 1, has also been spreading throughout Africa.
More than 17,000 mpox cases and at least 571 deaths have been confirmed in Africa this year, officials have said. The figures exceed last year’s totals.
The UK has been preparing for cases after a person in Sweden was found to have the clade 1b strain of mpox.
The disease, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral infection that causes pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms. It is usually mild but can kill.
It is passed on through close physical contact and symptoms include a high temperature, headache, muscle aches, backache, and a rash.
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Following its latest risk assessment, the ECDC said it is “highly likely” Europe will have “more imported cases of mpox caused by the clade I virus currently circulating in Africa”.
It therefore increased its risk level assessment from “low” to “moderate” in relation to the chance of sporadic cases appearing in EU countries.
However, the ECDC has said “strengthened surveillance and preparedness activities” as well as “robust healthcare” across Europe means the impact of mpox on the continent “will be low”.
As part of measures to try and prevent the spread of the virus, the public health body is also advising travellers to “epidemic areas” to “consult their healthcare provider or travel health clinic regarding eligibility for vaccination against mpox”.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner, director of ECDC, said: “As a result of the rapid spread of this outbreak in Africa, ECDC has increased the level of risk for the general population in the EU/EEA and travellers to affected areas. Due to the close links between Europe and Africa, we must be prepared for more imported clade I cases.”
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How does mpox spread and what is the risk to the world?
Mpox is a viral disease that occurs mostly in central and western Africa. It was first identified in laboratory monkeys, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Common symptoms of mpox are a skin rash or pus-filled lesions which can last two to four weeks. It also can cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.
A human can contract it through physical contact with someone who is infectious or with infected animals.
Currently there is no treatment approved specifically for mpox virus infections, according to the CDC.
However, a two-dose vaccine has been developed to protect against the virus.
The CDC says that for most patients with mpox who have intact immune systems and don’t have a skin disease, supportive care and pain control will help them recover without medical treatment.
Meanwhile, the WHO is due to host an emergency meeting to discuss ways to ensure fair global access to tests, treatments, and vaccines for the virus.
It comes as a Red Cross and Red Crescent official said far more diagnostic kits, treatments and vaccines need to be shipped to Africa to respond adequately to the outbreak of the new strain of mpox there.
Shares in pharmaceutical companies producing and developing mpox vaccines rose on Friday.
Dr Jean Kaseya, the director general of Africa Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention, told Sky News there are cases in 16 countries in Africa, including DR Congo, where the outbreak was first spotted.
“For the first time, we have countries like Ivory Coast, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda reporting cases,” he said.
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Burundi, Central Africa Republic, South Africa, and Nigeria have also detected cases, the WHO said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan confirmed on Friday a case of the mpox virus in a patient who had returned from a Gulf country.
It is not clear whether it was of the new variant or of the clade that has been spreading globally since 2022.
China said earlier on Friday it plans to monitor people and goods entering the country for mpox for the next six months.
