Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

More imported cases of new mpox strain in Europe expected, public health agency says

Vials of single doses of the Jynneos vaccine for mpox are seen from a cooler at a vaccinations site on Aug. 29, 2022. (Jeenah Moon / The Associated Press) Vials of single doses of the Jynneos vaccine for mpox are seen from a cooler at a vaccinations site on Aug. 29, 2022. (Jeenah Moon / The Associated Press)
Share

More imported cases of a new mpox strain will appear in Europe in the coming weeks but the risk of sustained transmission remains low, the head of Europe's disease prevention agency said on Friday.

The agency raised its risk assessment for sporadic cases of mpox cladeI in Europe to moderate on Friday. The risk was high for travellers to affected areas in Africa in close contact with people there, and moderate for their contacts.

The risk for the general population has gone up from very low to low, the agency said.

"There will be more cases in the coming weeks. That's the expectation... But regarding the risk [for the] general European population, we have to say that our assessment is that the risk is very low at the moment," European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control director Pamela Rendi-Wagner said in an interview.

She called for European countries to step up preparedness and raise awareness to prevent further spread.

An outbreak of mpox in Democratic Republic of Congo caused by two different forms of mpox, an endemic form and a new offshoot called clade Ib, has caused global concern after it spread to more countries in Africa.

On Thursday, Sweden became the first country outside Africa to confirm a case of clade Ib. The WHO declared the outbreak a global health emergency on Wednesday.

The European CDC recommended that public health authorities plan and prepare for quick detection of any clade I cases that may reach Europe.

It predicts the impact from this strain of the virus will be low in Europe if proper surveillance and control measures are implemented, using the expertise garnered when another strain of mpox, clade II, spread globally in 2022.

During that emergency, the virus spread mainly among men who had sex with men, and behavior change as well as vaccines helped bring it under control in Europe.

Mpox is a viral infection that causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, and while usually mild, it can be fatal in rare cases. It spreads through close contact, including sexual contact, and clade Ib appears to spread more easily among people than other forms of the virus, although there are many open questions about its severity and transmissibility, Randi-Wagner said.

Anyone with symptoms and travel history or a contact with travel to affected areas in Africa should immediately contact a doctor, she added.

"Test, test, test, in order to find the suspect cases in Europe as soon as possible and avoid further spreading," she said in recommendations to European public health authorities.

(Reporting by Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Angus MacSwan)

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The calls are growing louder for city council to tighten the rules governing short-term accommodations, including those advertised on websites like Airbnb and Vrbo, after students arrived by the busload at a rented house in the Masonville neighbourhood.

Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton are apparently distant relatives

Genealogy and family tree tracking site Ancestry announced on Monday that by using “billions of historical records and public family trees,†they’ve discovered that the two music powerhouses are actually seventh cousins, once removed.

Local Spotlight

Giant gourds took over a Manitoba community this weekend.

Fire has destroyed a barn and 17,000 plants at a family-owned business in Lower Coverdale, N.B.

Before influencers on social media, Canada’s Jeanne Beker was bringing the world of high fashion down to earth and as Calgary’s Glenbow Museum gets a major make-over, it will include a new exhibition showcasing the pop culture icon.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

A Nova Scotian YouTuber has launched a mini-truck bookmobile.

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.