Sweden and Pakistan Report Their First Mpox Cases

Sweden and Pakistan have reported their first cases of mpox outside Africa. While the Swedish patient contracted the disease during his stay in an African country, the Pakistani patient was infected during his visit to a Middle Eastern country.

The information about the variant of mpox that infected these patients has not yet been confirmed. However, Pakistan’s Health Ministry has urged officials at borders and airports to heighten surveillance and collect samples from travelers displaying mpox symptoms.

In response to the growing global spread of mpox, China has also tightened surveillance measures at its ports of entry to prevent mpox from entering the country. The Africa CDC has declared mpox a public health emergency, and the WHO has declared it a global public health emergency. Notably, the Africa CDC reported over 2,000 new mpox cases across the continent in the past week.