Monkeypox Virus: Sweden has confirmed its first case of a ‘more grave’ variant of Mpox - a viral disease that causes painful skin lesions, fever, headaches, and muscle aches – marking the first time it has been found outside Africa. The person was infected in a part of Africa where there was a large outbreak of the disease. Olivia Wigzell, director-general at the Swedish public health agency, told a news conference.

On Thursday, the World Health Organization declared Mpox – previously known as Monkeypox – a global health emergency for the second time in two years, after an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to 116 other countries.

According to experts, the ongoing African outbreak is driven by versions of the virus known as clade 1 - including the offshoot clade 1b. Those versions have been associated with more severe illness and deaths than the Clade 2 version responsible for the 2022 global outbreak.

Wigzell said the person who had been infected had received care and instructions in line with the health agency’s recommendations. WHO said there have been more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths in more than a dozen countries across Africa this year, which already exceeds last year’s figures.

More than 96 per cent of all cases and deaths are in a single country – Congo.

Experts have said the case of a Swedish traveler has been concerning but not surprising, given the severity and spread of the outbreak in Africa. Swedish said the risk to the public is considered low, in line with an assessment from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. But officials said a new evaluation is expected soon, with occasional cases related to travel anticipated.

According to experts, Mpox has two forms - clade 1 in Congo and other endemic regions, and clade 2 - which spread internationally. Clade 1 has a higher fatality rate, but that could reflect that people contracting it have less access to quality health care.

The symptoms of Clade 1 are generally more severe with higher rates of complications like encephalitis, pneumonia, and respiratory diseases apart from secondary bacterial infections. It also causes intense skin rashes, and larger lesions and has a higher rate of person-to-person transmission – especially through respiratory droplets and close contact.

Scientists say the fatality rate in clade 1 is higher – ranging from 1-10 per cent in some outbreaks.

However, clade 2, found mainly in West Africa, is milder with fewer complications.

According to the WHO, Mpox affects both humans and animals as it belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus, known for causing illnesses characterized by a rash that includes raised bumps on the skin. These bumps often contain fluid or pus, which eventually crust over and heal.

The virus is primarily transmitted through close contact with an infected animal or person. Human-to-human transmission occurs through direct contact with skin lesions, body fluids, or respiratory droplets from an infected individual, and by touching contaminated objects. Symptoms of Mpox usually appear between three and 21 days after exposure and can last between two to four weeks.

While Mpox is generally a self-limiting disease, it causes many other life-threatening complications which can be fatal. Currently, there are no approved antiviral treatments for Mpox.

Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Health and around the world.