The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on Friday recommended increased vigilance against a new mpox virus variant that is likely to spread quickly, it said.

"Due to frequent and close travel links," European Union member states should issue advice for those visiting or returning from mpox outbreak areas in five Central African states: Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya.

"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," said Pamela Rendi-Wagner, director of the Stockholm-based ECDC.

On Thursday, the first infection of the new mpox clade 1 variant was reported in the EU, coincidentally also in Sweden. The person infected with the virus was a traveler who had recently........

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