Travelers should consider getting vaccinated against mpox if they plan to visit affected areas in Africa, according to new advice.
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 also expect some cases, it says.
ECDC says risk of it spreading everywhere is lowdespite the World Health Organization recently declaring the mpox situation a global emergency.
The disease, formally known as monkeypox, can be transmitted through close contact with any infected person.
Those who have been vaccinated against mpox in the past may need only one booster dose, rather than two shots.
Booster doses of the vaccine are generally recommended every two to ten years if a person continues to be at risk of exposure.
Mpox has killed at least 450 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo in recent months, linked to a new type or clade called 1b.
Mpox can be transmitted from person to person through:
- any close physical contact with mpox blisters or scabs (including during sexual contact, kissing, hugging, or holding hands)
- Touching clothing, bedding, or towels used by someone with MPOX
- A person with MPOX coughs or sneezes when they are near you.
It causes flu-like symptoms, skin lesions, and can be fatal for some people.
Experts say there is still much to learn about the 1b virus, but it may be spreading more easily and causing more severe illness.
ECDC's Pamela Rendi-Wagner said: “As a result of the rapid spread of this outbreak in Africa, ECDC has raised the risk level for the general EU/EEA population and for travellers to the affected areas. Due to the close links between Europe and Africa, we must be prepared for the importation of further Clade 1 cases.”
There are currently no confirmed cases of Clade 1b mpox in the UK, but experts say cases could 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 the rapid detection of any additional cases that may arrive in Europe.
A previous mpox public health emergency, declared in 2022, was caused by a different, milder strain called Clade 2.
Although effective vaccines against mpox exist, very few doses are currently reaching where they are most needed.
