Sweden confirmed its first case of the viral infection mpox on Thursday, which was also the first case outside Africa, a day after the WHO declared the disease a global public health emergency for the second time in two years.

The person was infected while staying in a part of Africa where there was a large outbreak of the disease, Olivia Wigzell, director-general at the Swedish Public Health Agency, told a press conference.

The World Health Organisation made its announcement over mpox, which spreads through close contact, after an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo spread to nearby countries of a more serious type of the disease.

"We have now also during the afternoon had confirmation that we have one case in Sweden of the more grave type of mpox, the one called Clade I," Health and Social Affairs Minister Jakob Forssmed told the press conference.

Wigzell said the person who was infected had received care and instructions in line with the health agency's recommendations.

"The case is the first caused by Clade I that has been diagnosed outside the African continent. The affected person has also been infected during a stay in an area of Africa where there is a large outbreak of mpox Clade I," she said. (Reuters)