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Europe must “prepare” for an increase in mpox cases

by AI | 19.Aug 2024 | Europe in brief AI

European Union and European Economic Area countries must prepare for an increase in mpox cases, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warned.

A pharmacist administers a dose of Imvanex, a vaccine against the monkeypox virus (mpox), in a pharmacy in Lille, northern France, on August 10, 2022.

STOCKHOLM – The ECDC “recommends health authorities to maintain a high level of preparedness planning (…) in order to enable rapid detection and response,” it said Friday in a statement.

The first cases outside Africa were detected in Sweden and Pakistan this week, with the WHO warning that the European continent should expect more imported cases in the coming days.

The sharp increase in cases related to this epidemic, particularly in Central Africa, prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to trigger its highest level of international alert on Wednesday. 

A total of 38,465 cases of this disease, formerly known as monkeypox, have been recorded in 16 African countries since January 2022, with 1,456 deaths, including a 160% increase in the number of cases in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to the African Union’s health agency, Africa CDC. 

The disease causes fever, muscle pain, and skin lesions resembling boils.