Monkeypox virus

The United Kingdom has reported two additional cases of mpox clade Ib, marking the first confirmed instances of local transmission in the WHO European Region. Both cases occurred in household contacts of a person who had recently returned from several African countries and tested positive for mpox.

Experts warn that it is only a matter of time before more cases of the new contagious variant of monkeypox (mpox Clade Ib) are identified in Europe. This follows the first imported case reported in Sweden a week ago.

Vials of single doses of the Jynneos vaccine for monkeypox are seen from a cooler at a vaccinations site on Aug. 29, 2022, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. African health officials said mpox cases have spiked by 160% in the last year, warning the risk of further spread is high given the lack of effective treatments or vaccines on the continent

Greece has initiated its monkeypox vaccination campaign as of July 22, according to an announcement by Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis. This action follows the World Health Organization's (WHO) declaration that the spread of monkeypox is a public health emergency of international concern.

Greek health authorities are on heightened alert for the prevention and early detection of mpox (monkeypox) virus cases and have announced the establishment of more vaccination centers for high-risk groups.

Bulgaria recorded a case of monkeypox in June 2023, involving a 36-year-old man who tested positive for a less severe strain of the virus. The patient was isolated and successfully treated. This follows six cases reported in the summer of 2022.

The worst fears of a potential spread of monkeypox from the African countries where it originated to the rest of the world have been confirmed by the World Health Organization’s announcement of the first case in a European country, specifically in Sweden.

This file photo taken at a municipal vaccination centre in Marseille, southern France, on Aug. 10, 2022 shows doses of Imvanex, a vaccine to protect against Monkeypox virus.

Türkiye on Thursday announced that no cases of mpox, an infectious viral disease that has hit hard the African continent this year, have been reported in the country.

The African Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared a public health emergency across the continent due to a monkeypox outbreak affecting Central and East Africa, as reported by the BBC. The outbreak is particularly concerning because it involves a new and more dangerous variant of the virus.

A confirmed case of monkeypox has been reported in Sofia, as indicated by data from the Metropolitan Regional Health Inspectorate for the period of June 10-16, 2024.