EU raises Mpox risk level after new strain in Sweden

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on Friday elevated its risk level for mpox to “moderate” from “low” after a new strain of the virus was detected in Sweden, marking the first confirmed case outside Africa. This development comes a day after global health officials confirmed the case, heightening concerns across Europe.

The World Health Organization (WHO) had already declared mpox a global public health emergency on Wednesday, its highest level of alert, following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has since spread to neighboring countries. Mpox, a viral infection that causes pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms, is typically mild but can be fatal. The Congo is currently battling two strains of the virus: the endemic clade I and a newly emerged variant, clade Ib.

ECDC Director Pamela Rendi Wagner cautioned that more imported cases of the new clade I strain are expected in Europe in the coming weeks due to close travel links between Europe and Africa. However, she noted that the risk of sustained transmission within Europe remains low at this stage.

The ECDC has urged European countries to maintain heightened vigilance, particularly among travelers arriving from affected regions. This comes as health authorities in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province confirmed on Friday that three patients have been diagnosed with the monkeypox virus. The first case of the year involved a patient returning from a Gulf country, although it is unclear if this was the new variant or the clade that has been circulating globally since 2022.

In response to the global spread of the virus, WHO official Margaret Harris stated during a media call on Friday that more cases outside Africa are anticipated, largely due to increased surveillance and monitoring efforts. Despite the growing number of cases, the WHO has advised against implementing travel restrictions to contain the virus.

China, however, announced on Friday that it plans to monitor people and goods entering the country for mpox over the next six months, reflecting broader global concerns about the virus’s spread.

Diagnostics and Vaccination Efforts

There is an urgent need for more diagnostic kits, treatments, and vaccines to be sent to Africa to combat the new mpox strain, according to an official from the Red Cross and Red Crescent humanitarian network. The head of the global vaccine alliance Gavi told Reuters that it has allocated up to $500 million to procure vaccines for countries affected by the escalating outbreak in Africa.

The pharmaceutical industry has responded swiftly to the rising threat. Shares in Danish biotech firm Bavarian Nordic soared more than 15% on Friday after the company announced it had submitted data to the EU’s drug regulator seeking approval to extend the use of its mpox and smallpox vaccine to adolescents aged 12 to 17 years.

Similarly, New Jersey-based Tonix Pharmaceuticals saw a surge in its stock price following the announcement that it will accelerate the development of its mpox vaccine candidate. “We are motivated to advance development for our mpox vaccine with urgency given the global public health emergency,” said Seth Lederman, CEO of Tonix Pharmaceuticals.