Rising Threat: New Mpox Strain Sparks Global Concern

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control increased its risk level for mpox following the confirmation of a new strain of the virus in Sweden. The World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency, resulting in pharmaceutical companies focusing on vaccine development and shares rising in response.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on Friday raised its risk level for mpox, a day after global health officials confirmed a new strain of the virus in Sweden, marking the first case outside Africa.

The EU public health body's head stated that more imported cases of the new mpox strain are expected to surface in Europe in the coming weeks, although the risk of sustained transmission remains low. On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared mpox a global public health emergency, following an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo that has spread to neighboring countries.

Mpox, a viral infection resulting in pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms, is typically mild but can be fatal. Two strains are now spreading in Congo - the endemic clade I and a new offshoot, clade Ib. On Friday, the ECDC escalated its risk level assessment for mpox to 'moderate' from 'low' for sporadic cases appearing in the bloc, advising countries to maintain high awareness among travelers.

'Due to the close links between Europe and Africa, we must be prepared for more imported clade I cases,' said ECDC Director Pamela Rendi Wagner. Pakistan also confirmed a case of the mpox virus in a patient who returned from a Gulf country, though the strain was not identified.

WHO official Margaret Harris indicated that she expects more cases outside Africa as monitoring increases but advised against travel restrictions to contain the virus.

China announced plans to monitor arrivals for mpox over the next six months. Diagnostics and medical supplies, including vaccines, need to be rapidly deployed to Africa to handle the new mpox strain. The global vaccine group Gavi has $500 million allocated for affected countries.

Shares in pharmaceutical companies developing mpox vaccines rose sharply. Danish biotech firm Bavarian Nordic saw a 15% stock surge after submitting data to the EU's drug regulator for approval to extend the use of its vaccine to adolescents. Shares of Tonix Pharmaceuticals and other vaccine developers like Emergent BioSolutions and GeoVax Labs also rose premarket.

(With inputs from agencies.)