The monkeypox virus, which has been seen in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries, has spread beyond the African continent. “This afternoon we confirmed a case of a more serious type of monkeypox in Sweden, called Clade I,” Swedish Health and Social Affairs Minister Jakob Forssmed said at a press conference.
In the statement made by the Public Health Agency of Sweden, it was stated that the case in question was the first time that Clade I, a dangerous variant of the monkeypox virus, was detected outside Africa, and that the patient was in the capital Stockholm.
WHO DECLARED A ‘GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY’
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared a “public health emergency” across the continent yesterday due to the monkeypox virus spreading from the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighboring countries. “It is clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. A global public health emergency is known as WHO’s highest level of alert and aims to accelerate research, funding, international public health measures and cooperation to bring a disease under control.
Africa CDC said more than 17,000 cases and 517 deaths from monkeypox have been reported on the continent so far this year, representing a 160 percent increase compared to the same period last year. A total of 13 countries in Africa have reported cases.
NOT FOUND IN TURKEY
The Ministry of Health had announced that no cases of M pox (mpox) disease, which is particularly seen in the African continent, have been encountered in Turkey and that there is no need for any restrictions or additional measures yet. The Ministry’s statement had used the following expressions: “No cases of M pox (mpox) disease, which is particularly seen in the African continent, have been encountered in Turkey in 2024. There is no need for any restrictions or additional measures in our country yet. The necessary studies are being carried out by our Ministry, and the process is being followed meticulously with our scientific board and health infrastructure.”
WHAT KIND OF VIRUS IS MONKEYPOX (MPOX)?
Mpox is a viral infection that causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. Until a few years ago, most cases were reported in Central and West Africa. But in 2022, when a type of mpox called clade 2 triggered a global outbreak that reached more than 100 countries, including the UK, the WHO declared a public health emergency.
Alarm bells rang in April when scientists found a new, easier-to-catch strain of mpox with “pandemic potential” in Kamituga, a small mining town in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The new virus, called clade 1b, is behind a recent surge in cases in the country’s east.
SYMPTOMS OF MONKEYPOX (MPOX) VIRUS
Symptoms of Mpox disease may include fever, breathing problems, muscle aches and swollen lymph nodes. Rashes may also appear on the hands, feet, chest, mouth or genitals.
(UAV)