WHO confirms first case of mpox outside Africa as outbreak spreads, by Reuters

STOCKHOLM/CHICAGO (Reuters) – The World Health Organization confirmed on Thursday that a case of the mpox virus infection in Sweden was linked to an outbreak in Africa, the first sign of its spread outside the continent, a day after WHO declared the disease as a global public health emergency.

Swedish health officials said at a news conference that the person was infected while in Africa with clade Ib mpox involved in the recent outbreak. The person receives treatment.

Both US and Canadian officials said they had not identified any cases so far.

The WHO declared the outbreak in Africa a public health emergency on Wednesday after cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo spread to nearby countries.

Clade Ib, the version of the virus behind the current outbreak, is believed to cause a more severe type of mpox than the version that caused a public health emergency in 2022. The virus is spread by close contact.