Swedish Officials Detect Mpox Variant For First Time Outside Of Africa

The Washington Post (8/15, Nirappil) reports, “Swedish officials said Thursday they have detected a version of mpox that only a day earlier prompted global health authorities to declare a health emergency, marking the first time that variant has been discovered outside of Africa.” A current outbreak in Africa is being “driven by versions of the virus known as clade 1, including the offshoot clade 1b.” Swedish authorities “said the patient was infected during a stay in a part of Africa where clade 1 is circulating and was diagnosed with that variant after seeking care in the Stockholm region.” The “patient has received care, said Magnus Gisslen, state epidemiologist at the Public Health Agency of Sweden.” The AP (8/15) reports Swedish officials said, “The fact that a patient with mpox is treated in the country does not affect the risk to the general population.” Officials added “that experts estimate that risk to be ‘very low.’” Officials “said, however, that occasional imported cases may continue to occur.” Also reporting are Reuters (8/15, Ringstrom, Steenhuysen) and NBC News (8/15, Varinsky).