Belgium has reported its first case of the Clade 1b strain of Mpox, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has labeled as “especially concerning.”

Mpox remains a significant global concern as Belgium becomes the eighth non-African country to report a case of the Clade 1b strain, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed increased concern over the rising cases in Africa and the emergence of new cases in Europe. Other non-African countries that have detected Mpox cases include Canada, Germany, Sweden, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Mpox is a viral infection caused by the Mpox virus, characterized by skin lesions often accompanied by fever and swollen lymph nodes. Symptoms typically last for two to four weeks. While the virus can be transmitted from animals to humans, the current outbreaks in Africa and other regions are primarily spread through close human contact, particularly during sexual activities.

Reports suggest that the Clade 1b strain is primarily spreading through sexual contact rather than from animals to humans. This strain first emerged in Africa last year, with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) being the first to record cases.

According to the latest reports from the WHO, the Clade 1b strain of the Mpox virus appears to be spreading more rapidly through sexual contact rather than from animals to humans. The WHO stated that the virus is primarily transmitting “among young adults through close physical contact, often sexual in nature.

In countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, the disease has also been transmitted through paid sex work. Once introduced into a community via sexual activity, it can subsequently spread to children. In fact, in certain regions, the disease is now predominantly circulating among children, indicating that while its initial transmission occurs through sexual contact, it later spreads through close, non-sexual contact.