Sweden’s health authorities say they have confirmed a case of a more severe strain of mpox, the viral disease previously referred to as monkeypox. They say this is the first infection of the new strain to be detected outside Africa.
The authorities said on Thursday that the infected person had traveled in an area of Africa where infections are spreading. Officials said the person is being treated in isolation.
The World Health Organization on Wednesday declared the ongoing outbreak of mpox in Africa a public health emergency of international concern.
Mpox causes symptoms such as fever and a rash. A large number of cases were reported in 2022, mostly in Europe and the United States.
The WHO says infections are surging again, mainly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa. It says the current outbreak involves a variant that is more likely to cause severe symptoms.