Europe must prepare for more mpox cases: EU health agency

Stockholm: The European Union health agency on Friday urged its member states to get ready for more cases of a deadly strain of mpox, a day after Swed...

Stockholm: The European Union health agency on Friday urged its member states to get ready for more cases of a deadly strain of mpox, a day after Sweden announced the first case outside Africa.

In a risk assessment, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said the overall risk for the general population in the EU and European Economic Area (EAA) -- 30 countries altogether -- was "low".

The ECDC said it "recommends that public health authorities in the EU/EEA maintain high levels of preparedness planning and awareness-raising activities to enable rapid detection and response".

The Stockholm-based health body said more imported cases to Europe were "highly likely".

"Due to the close links between Europe and Africa, we must be prepared for more imported clade I cases," ECDC director Pamela Rendi-Wagner said in a statement.