Travellers should consider getting vaccinated against mpox if they will be visiting affected areas in Africa, new advice says.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has updated its recommendations in response to outbreaks of a new strain of the virus. Other continents, including Europe, can expect some cases too, it says.
ECDC says the risk of it spreading everywhere is low, despite the World Health Organization recently declaring the mpox situation a global emergency.
The disease – formally known as monkeypox – can be passed on by close contact with anyone with the infection.
Those who have been vaccinated against mpox in the past might only need one-top up dose, rather than two shots.
Booster vaccine doses are typically recommended every two to ten years if a person remains at continued risk for exposure.
Mpox has killed at least 450 people in the DRC in recent months, linked to a new type or Clade called 1b.
Experts say there is still a lot to learn about 1b, but it may be spreading more easily, causing more serious disease.
Pamela Rendi-Wagner from the ECDC said: “As a result of the rapid spread of this outbreak in Africa, ECDC has increased the level of risk for the general population in the EU/EEA and travellers to affected areas. Due to the close links between Europe and Africa we must be prepared for more imported Clade 1 cases.”
Currently, there are no cases of Clade 1b mpox confirmed in the UK but experts say cases can spread if international action is not taken.
A case of mpox has also been detected in Sweden after a person became infected during a stay in an area of Africa where the disease is spreading.
The ECDC recommends that public health authorities plan and prepare for quick detection of any more cases that may reach Europe.
A previous mpox public health emergency, declared in 2022, was caused by a different, milder strain called Clade 2.
Despite having effective vaccines against mpox, too few doses are currently getting to where they are needed most. (BBC)
