Sweden has confirmed its first case of Mpox following the recent declaration of the disease as a public health emergency in Africa. The confirmation comes amid a surge of Mpox cases across the continent, driven by a new, highly contagious variant. Mpox, first identified in the 1970s, is spread through close contact with infected individuals or animals.
Symptoms typically resemble the flu and are accompanied by painful, pus-filled lesions. While most cases are mild, Mpox has the potential to be fatal, particularly with the newly identified clade 1b variant, which poses a significant threat to vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems. Despite Ghana not reporting any Mpox cases in 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) has categorized it among 19 high-risk countries due to its proximity to affected regions and its historical context with the disease.
In response, the Ghana Health Service has intensified its surveillance measures to prevent an outbreak. Dr. Franklin Asiedu Bekoe, Director for Public Health at the Ghana Health Service, highlighted the steps.
“We have heightened surveillance, and clinicians are undergoing re-training. Early detection is our focus, and we are now leveraging our reference laboratory to improve case confirmation, moving beyond reliance on the Noguchi Memorial Institute alone. Sensitization efforts are ongoing, and discussions are in progress with WHO regarding a potential declaration of a public health emergency of international concern to bolster our prevention efforts,” Dr Bekoe stated.
Central and Western Africa remain the primary hotspots for Mpox, with the Democratic Republic of Congo experiencing the most severe outbreak. Alarmingly, children under 15 represent 70% of Mpox cases and 85% of fatalities. While there is no approved treatment for Mpox, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that a two-dose vaccine has been developed to offer protection.
Individuals are advised to avoid direct skin-to-skin contact, face-to-face interaction, and mouth-to-skin contact to mitigate the risk. Regular hand washing, sanitizing objects and surfaces, and wearing masks during close contact are recommended preventive measures..
