Swedish health officials disclosed that the infected individual contracted the virus while in Africa and is currently receiving treatment. The clade Ib strain involved in this case is a variant of clade I, which is endemic to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The virus appears to spread more easily through close contact, including sexual contact, raising concerns about its potential to cause a wider international outbreak.
“The emergence of a case on the European continent could spur rapid international spread of mpox,” warned Lawrence Gostin, a public health expert and professor at Georgetown Law in Washington. “A case in Sweden most likely means dozens of undetected cases in Europe.”
