Sweden reports first case of monkeypox

STOCKHOLM: One person in Sweden has a confirmed case of monkeypox, health authorities said on Thursday following similar cases in Europe and North America.

The rare disease usually manifests itself through fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion and a rash on the hands and face. "One person in the Stockholm region has been confirmed to be infected with monkey pox," Sweden’s Public Health Agency said in a statement.

The infected person "is not seriously ill, but has been given care," according to the agency. "We still don’t know where the person was infected. An investigation is currently underway," Klara Sonden, an infectious disease doctor and investigator at the agency, said in a statement. The health authority is now "investigating with the regional infection control centres whether there are more cases in Sweden," it said.