EU Urged to Issue Travel Warnings as Mpox Risk Grows in Africa

European health authorities advise EU countries to issue travel warnings for African regions affected by mpox as the virus spreads, with new cases reported in Europe.

Rising Mpox Risk Prompts EU Travel Warnings

European health authorities are calling on EU countries to issue travel warnings for regions in Africa affected by mpox, following the World Health Organization's (WHO) declaration of the outbreak as a global health emergency. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has raised concerns about the increasing number of mpox cases in several African nations, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighboring countries.

Spread of Mpox in Africa

Since last year, mpox has been spreading in the DRC and other African countries, leading to over 500 deaths, with the majority occurring in the DRC. The ECDC has highlighted the growing risk for travelers to these regions, especially those who have close contact with affected communities.

Bruno Ciancio, head of surveillance at the ECDC, emphasized the severity of the situation in Africa, where the number of mpox cases is likely underestimated. The agency warns that Europe could see more imported cases of mpox, although the risk of ongoing transmission within Europe remains low, provided that these cases are identified and contained swiftly.

First European Case of New Mpox Strain

In a concerning development, Sweden recently reported the first European case of a new mpox variant, Clade Ib, which was previously only detected in Africa. This has prompted the ECDC to raise the risk level for EU/EEA travelers and the general population.

ECDC Recommendations

To prevent further spread in Europe, the ECDC has recommended that EU and European Economic Area (EEA) countries issue travel advisories for those visiting mpox-affected areas in Africa. Travelers are advised to consider vaccination, and European clinicians are urged to remain vigilant for potential cases, despite the disease not being endemic to Europe.

The ECDC also underscored the importance of rapid case identification, effective surveillance, testing, and contact tracing to control any potential outbreaks in Europe. The agency noted that while the risk should be taken seriously, the availability of an effective and safe vaccine should help mitigate the impact.