A senior researcher has warned that the world is on the brink of a "new global outbreak" of monkeypox, following the discovery of the first case of the virus outside Africa in Sweden. Dr. Brian Ferguson, an associate professor of immunology at Cambridge University, stated, "The emergence of a monkeypox case in Sweden is clearly a concerning development. It is not surprising, given the severity and spread of outbreaks in Africa, that intercontinental travel would lead to this case being transferred to Europe."
He added, "It is likely that there will be more cases as there are currently no mechanisms in place to prevent imported cases." He continued, "The timing of the discovery of the case in Sweden comes less than 24 hours after the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of concern; there should have been a greater effort to produce and distribute vaccines to affected areas, but this has not occurred. These issues can be addressed, but it requires rapid international cooperation."
The World Health Organization reported over 14,000 cases and 524 deaths in Africa this year, which already exceeds last year's numbers. The virus belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox but causes milder symptoms such as fever, chills, and body aches. Individuals with more severe cases may develop lesions on the face, hands, chest, and genitalia. So far, over 96% of all cases and deaths have occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Swedish Public Health Agency has identified the first case of the new variant of the monkeypox strain in a person who had recently traveled to Africa.
