Health
Sweden reports first case of highly-infectious mpox virus outside Africa amid outbreak there
Swedish health authorities announced the first case of the highly-infectious mpox just a day after the World Health Organization declared a global emergency for the outbreaks in Africa.
In this case, a person was infected during a stay in the part of Africa where there is a major outbreak of (the more infectious mpox formerly known as monkeypox),” the Public Health Agency of Sweden announced on Thursday.
Magnus Gisslen, a state epidemiologist with the Swedish health agency, said the person had been treated and given “rules of conduct.”
“The fact that a patient with mpox is treated in the country does not affect the risk to the general population,” Swedish officials said.
MPOX DECLARED PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY IN AFRICA AS AUTHORITIES BATTLE MULTIPLE VARIANTS
Swedish state epidemiologist Magnus Gisslén speaks during a press conference Thursday regarding mpox, in Stockholm. (Fredrik Sandberg/TT News Agency via AP)
The announcement of an infected resident in the Scandinavian country comes just a day after WHO declared the mpox outbreak a global emergency.
The U.N. health agency said there have been more than 14,000 cases and 524 deaths this year, which already exceed last year’s figures.
So far, more than 96% of all cases and deaths are in Congo.
Mpox on a child in Nigeria. (Nigeria Centre for Disease Control via WHO)
What is mpox?
Mpox, also known as monkeypox, was first identified by scientists in 1958 when there were outbreaks of a “pox-like” disease in monkeys. Until recently, most human cases were seen in people in Central and West Africa who had close contact with infected animals.
In 2022, the virus was confirmed to spread via sex for the first time and triggered outbreaks in more than 70 countries that had not previously reported mpox.
‘ZIKA-LIKE’ MOSQUITO-BORNE VIRUS HAS SPREAD INTO EUROPE, HEALTH OFFICIALS WARN
Mpox belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox but causes milder symptoms like fever, chills and body aches. People with more serious cases can develop lesions on the face, hands, chest and genitals.
Earlier this year, scientists identified a highly contagious form of mpox, which can kill up to 10% of people.
Mpox is transmittable and highly-contagious. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
Scientists in Europe have maintained that although mpox is transmittable and highly-contagious, advanced healthcare in Sweden and other rich countries can stop the transmission before it becomes an epidemic.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Scientists have linked eating leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale and broccoli to better lung health.
There are two primary forms of vitamin K found in foods. The primary kind is vitamin K1, found mainly in vegetables, which plays a major role in the body’s blood-clotting process.
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Vitamin K2 is found in fermented foods, certain dairy products, eggs and meats and helps regulate calcium in the body and supports bone health.
Researchers at Australia’s Edith Cowan University examined whether dietary intake of vitamins K1 and K2 was associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and lung function.
Leafy green vegetables are high in vitamin K1, a nutrient that researchers have observed conributes to improved lung health. (iStock)
“Chronic respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, are among the most prevalent noncommunicable diseases worldwide and were the third leading cause of death in 2019, accounting for 4 million deaths and affecting 454.6 million individuals globally,” the scientists reported in the introduction to their study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
“Although asthma and COPD can be managed with available treatments, neither condition is curable, underscoring the need for effective prevention strategies,” they added.
The leading cause of COPD is smoking, the Mayo Clinic reported. Exposure to other irritants, such as dust, chemicals and pollution, can also cause it.
The researchers analyzed data from 179,062 participants over a 10-and-a-half-year period and concluded that, “Higher dietary vitamin K1 intake was associated with better lung function and a lower rate of COPD.”
Researchers found that people who increased their vitamin K1 intake were less likely to develop COPD. (iStock)
Participants who consumed the most vitamin K1 had a 16% lower likelihood of COPD, the researchers observed. The effects were more pronounced in smokers and participants with high-risk occupations.
Consumption of vitamin K2 did not result in lower COPD rates.
“No association was observed for vitamin K1 or vitamin K2 intakes and asthma,” the researchers also wrote.
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Associate Professor Marc Sim, who was involved in the study, said that it’s likely Vitamin K activates a protein that may help keep lung tissue flexible and prevent damage.
Because the study was observational, it cannot prove that vitamin K1 directly reduces COPD risk, only that higher intake was associated with better lung health.
Researchers have associated higher consumption of leafy green vegetables with better lung function. (iStock)
Just one extra serving of leafy greens “is an achievable way to boost your vitamin K1 intake,” said Chengfeng Li, one of the study’s researchers.
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Other foods rich in vitamin K1 include collard greens, Swiss chard, Brussels sprouts and turnip greens.
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