Sweden Classifies Monkeypox As Socially Dangerous Disease - Health Minister

Sweden Classifies Monkeypox as Socially Dangerous Disease - Health Minister

The Swedish government has decided to classify monkeypox as a a socially dangerous disease amid its sudden outbreak in Europe and North America, Swedish Health Minister Lena Hallengren said on Friday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th May, 2022) The Swedish government has decided to classify monkeypox as a a socially dangerous disease amid its sudden outbreak in Europe and North America, Swedish Health Minister Lena Hallengren said on Friday.

"The classification authorizes the adoption of infection control measures aimed at preventing further spread (of the disease)," Hallengren said, as quoted by Swedish broadcaster Sveriges Television.

Earlier in the day, Sweden registered the first case of monkeypox in a resident of the Stockholm area.

Meanwhile, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said that experts from the Robert Koch Institute, the governmental agency responsible for disease control and prevention, are studying monkeypox cases registered in Europe to identify whether the virus is more contagious than usual. Lauterbach believes that the results of the study will help the authorities to curb the outbreak.

The UK Health Security Agency was the first health authority in Europe to publicly report a case of monkeypox on May 7, in a patient who recently traveled from Nigeria.

Since then, cases of monkeypox have also been confirmed in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the United States.

Monkeypox is a rare viral disease, which is usually transmitted to people from wild animals, but also can be transmitted from human to human through body fluids, respiratory droplets, and other contaminated materials. The disease fatality rate is ranging from 1% to 10%.

Monkeypox predominantly occurs in Central and West Africa and results in swelling of the lymph nodes as well as widespread rash on the body, similar to the symptoms seen in patients with smallpox, but less severe. The incubation period usually lasts from six to 13 days, but in some cases, it can last up to 21 days. The symptoms of monkeypox include fever, back and muscle pain, and a rash on the body.