The Swedish Public Health Agency extra staffs its laboratory.
Monkey pox spreads mainly among men who have sex with men – but other groups can also be affected.
– If you have had a new sex partner, you can be vigilant about symptoms, says Klara Sondén, infection doctor and investigator at FHM.
Sweden has received its first confirmed case of monkey pox. The disease has never before been diagnosed in Sweden.
Monkey pox, in English “Monkeypox”, has its origins in Africa. It is now spreading in several European countries and the United States, mainly among men who have had sex with men.
– What we have seen in the European cases is that it does not seem to be serious as there are no reports of critically ill patients or deaths. However, this presentation is different compared to what we have seen before, says Klara Sondén, infection doctor and investigator at the Swedish Public Health Agency.
How do the new cases differ from previous ones?
– In the past, more general skin rashes have been seen all over the body. Now we see that the disease is sexually transmitted and the rashes are localized to the genitals.
Do you think that the disease can be spread to other groups than men who have sex with men?
– Yes absolutely. It is true that there is a predominance of reported cases among men who have sex with men. But there is nothing to say that women can not be infected. We must take height so that it can be spread among other groups that are also sexually active, says Klara Sondén.
No risk of great societal spread
At present, the Swedish Public Health Agency does not believe that there is any risk of a large spread to society as the disease appears to be a sexually transmitted infection.
– But you can be vigilant about not being sexually active if you have symptoms that could be monkey pox. If you have had a new sex partner, you can be vigilant about your own symptoms and if you develop something that seems suspicious, you should seek care or at least contact 1177, she says.
The public health authority sent a request to the government to classify monkey pox as a general dangerous disease. The government has now decided on it in order to be able to take infection control measures and break the chain of infection. The fact that the disease is classified as generally dangerous means that it applies under the Infection Control Act and doctors who discover the disease must report it to the infection control doctor and the Swedish Public Health Agency.
The regions send samples to the Swedish Public Health Agency’s own laboratory where a diagnosis is made.
– We have already scaled up the laboratory capacity before the weekend. There is a contingency that means that we will be able to receive a larger number of samples from Saturday, says Klara Sondén.
The Swedish Public Health Agency has sent dispatches to clinics that are believed to detect suspicious cases.
– It is microbiological laboratories, infection clinics and clinics that work with sexual health. I know that the regions are preparing in different ways and gathering information about this disease.