Information about Mpox for KI staff and students
The WHO has classified the ongoing outbreak of Mpox as an international health emergency. Mpox is caused by a DNA virus belonging to the Ortho poxvirus. Mpox is divided into two types: clade 1 and clade 2. So far, there has been one case of clad 1 in Sweden. The WHO considers the risk of widespread infection in Europe to be low.
Since late autumn 2023, clade 1 has been spreading in central Africa with an increasing number of cases, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and several neighbouring countries. In the outbreak of Mpox clade 1 in Africa, transmission routes are reported to be mainly person-to-person, via close skin-to-skin contacts, including sexual contacts.
Vaccines with good protective efficacy against severe disease exist, but are currently only given to selected risk groups.
Karolinska Institutet refers to the information on the Public Health Agency of Sweden's website and recommendations to travellers from the Government of Sweden, due to the spread of Mpox.