Monkeypox, or monkeypox in English, is a very rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus.
But now 18,000 cases have been discovered in Europe.
In total, roughly 120 cases of monkeypox have been reported in Sweden.
The four northernmost counties, Norrbotten, Västerbotten, Jämtland-Härjedalen and Västernorrland, have agreed not to publicly say how many cases they have.
As the Piteå newspaper was the first to report on, the reason is that the risk group, gay men, is considered too small.
- The interest and curiosity about whether we have cases or not does not trump the need to protect the individual through secrecy, says the infectious disease doctor in Norrbotten Anders Nystedt.
Infection tracing and vaccines
The regions have a plan for how to deal with future cases by putting a lot of effort into tracing infections and vaccinating.
Anyone found to have been infected with the disease will be interviewed and those who may have been exposed will be called to be offered the vaccine.
The fact that the infection is spread through close body contact and mainly manifests itself through marks on the body makes it much easier to stop compared to covid-19, according to infectious disease doctor Anders Nystedt:
- Once it breaks out, you get a rather ugly skin rash and it is obvious that you are ill, then there is very little risk that you will infect others.