Mpox Clade 1 Case Confirmed in Stockholm

The Public Health Agency of Sweden today announced a person who sought care at Region Stockholm had been diagnosed with mpox caused by the clade I variant.

According to the agency, on August 15, 2024, this person received care and rules of conduct, says Magnus Gisslén, state epidemiologist at the Public Health Agency of Sweden, in a press release.

The agency says this is the first case caused by the sexually-transmitted clade I virus to be diagnosed outside the African continent. The person was infected during a recent stay in that part of Africa.

Recently, the World Health Organization declared the clade I mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring countries a public health emergency of international concern.

The fact that a patient with mpox is treated in the country does not affect the risk to the general population, a risk that the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control currently considers very low. A new assessment is expected shortly.

However, occasional imported cases like the current one may continue to occur.

In the United States, the Clade 2 mpox outbreak began in May 2022 and has substantially diminished in 2024. However, the JYNNEOS smallpox / mpox vaccine continues to be available at specific clinics and pharmacies in the U.S.