Lithuania records first mpox case in 2024

Lithuanian health authorities on Wednesday confirmed the first mpox case this year.

According to the National Public Health Centre (NVSC), the person who contracted the disease is a non-Lithuanian citizen, News.Az reports, citing Lithuanian media.

This is the sixth mpox case in Lithuania since 2022, when an outbreak occurred in Europe.

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, a total of 22,800 cases of mpox have been reported in Europe between 2022 and September this year. The number of cases in August was higher than in July.

The infected person is currently receiving outpatient treatment and is in self-isolation.

The NVSC has launched an epidemiological investigation to identify close contacts and other information to prevent the spread of the disease.

Eearlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the mpox outbreak in parts of Africa a public health emergency of international concern.

The highly contagious disease - formerly known as monkeypox - has killed at least 450 people during an initial outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It has now spread across parts of central and east Africa, and scientists are concerned about how fast a new variant of the disease is spreading and its high fatality rate.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the potential for further spread within Africa and beyond "is very worrying".

News.Az