The EU’s public health body has issued a new advisory to control the spread of mpox in Europe, following Sweden's confirmation of the first case of the Clade 1 variant outside Africa. The EU has advised individuals traveling to epidemic areas to consult their physicians about their eligibility for vaccination against the virus. "As a result of the rapid spread of this outbreak in Africa, ECDC has increased the level of risk for the general population in the EU/EEA and travelers to affected areas. Due to the close links between Europe and Africa, we must be prepared for more imported clade I cases," said ECDC director Rendi-Wanger. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global emergency after 17,000 positive cases and 571 deaths were reported in Africa alone in 2024. So far, the WHO has confirmed cases of the new Clade 1 strain in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Sweden. Clade 1 has been confirmed to spread through close contact and causes symptoms such as fever, chills, and body aches. A severe case of the virus causes lesions on the face, hands, chest and genitals.