Kit Roberts
Experts have issued a travel warning to two European countries as cases of an infectious condition have been reported.
Travel Health Pro has warned that cases of Mpox, formerly known as Monkey Pox, have been confirmed in Sweden and Austria.
The agency has advised anyone travelling to these countries to 'take extra precautions' to protect themselves against the condition.
Six cases of the clade lb variant of the disease have been confirmed in Austria, and seven in Sweden, and the condition is highly contagious.
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A warning on the Travel Health Pro website reads: “Since 1 Feb 2026 and as of 12 March 2026, six cases of clade Ib mpox have been reported in Austria. Since 1 Feb 2026 and as of 12 March 2026, seven cases of clade Ib mpox have been reported in Sweden.”
Mpox is already a very infectious condition, but the lb variant is believed to be transmitted even more easily than strains such as the clade II.
It was the clade II strain which was responsible for an outbreak of the disease in the UK back in 2022.
The disease can be passed between people through physical contact with scabs or blisters.
Symptoms usually begin to manifest between roughly five and 21 days after someone is exposed to the disease.
Some of the signs of the disease include symptoms such as a high temperature, aching muscles and back, headaches, joint pain, swollen glands, chills, and extreme tiredness.
Patients may also develop a rash on their body between one and five days after they first start getting symtpoms.
The World Health Organisation has warned that some groups such as young children, pregnant people, and people who are immunocompromised can face more dangerous symptoms.
In severe cases, Mpox can be fatal for some patients.
In 2024 several countries in Africa saw outbreaks of the clade lb strain, and cases have since been reported in Europe and North America.