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The European Union has reiterated that the mpox virus, commonly known as monkeypox, does not represent a significant risk to the European population, stating that it is not about “the new Covid-19”. This was confirmed this Wednesday in Brussels by the Dr. Pamela Rendi-Wagner, director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), during a speech to the European Parliament’s Public Health Committee.
Dr. Rendi-Wagner stressed that the risk to the population in Europe is “low”, highlighting the existence of an effective vaccine to control possible outbreaks. He also recalled that the way in which Covid-19 and MPOX spread is “different”, as well as the risk levels of both viruses and the available vaccines. “In the case of mpox, There is now an effective vaccine, of which EU countries have sufficient reserves,” he stated.
Dr. Rendi-Wagner: “In the case of mpox, there is now an effective vaccine, of which EU countries have sufficient stocks”
The ECDC director also stressed the importance of maintaining vigilance and preparedness, especially in view of the possibility of imported cases from affected regions, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicentre of the crisis in Africa. “The risk of mpox is low in Europe. But despite this, we must continue to ensure that we are prepared and that there are sufficient coordination measures,” added Wolfgang Philipp, scientific director of the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA).
So far, Only one case of the new clade 1b variant has been detected in the European Union. The affected person had recently travelled to an African country. Unlike the strain that triggered the alert in 2022, which was transmitted mainly through sexual contact, this new variant is transmitted through everyday contact, also affecting children in African countries where the epidemic is most widespread.
Situation in Spain
In Spain, the Ministry of Health has reported 15 new cases of mpox in the last week, reflecting a slowdown in the rate of infections compared to previous reports. None of the new cases correspond to the clade 1b variant.
During 2024, a total of 349 cases of mpox have been reported in the country, already exceeding the 323 cases recorded in all of 2023. Most of the confirmed cases so far this year are concentrated in the Community of Madrid, which has reported 147 infections, followed by Andalusia with 83 cases and Catalonia with 61. However, There are four autonomous communities that have not reported any infections: Aragon, Asturias, Navarra and La Rioja.
The Ministry also highlighted that the majority of those affected are men, with a median age of 37 years, and that 89.5% of cases were not vaccinated or their vaccination status was unknown. In addition, the most likely transmission mechanism remains close contact in the context of sexual relations, although in some cases it has occurred in non-sexual contexts.
Despite the low vaccination rate, the situation in Spain remains under control, and health authorities continue to closely monitor the evolution of the outbreak to ensure an effective response.
