Luxembourg's Ministry of Health says it is taking strong measures to monitor and control Mpox, which has not caused any deaths in the country so far.

The first cases of Mpox, or monkeypox, were detected outside of Africa this week, with cases reported in Sweden and Pakistan. As Europe prepares itself for a potential rise in infections, the Ministry of Health issued a press release on Friday with the intent of offering reassurance.

Since 2022 in the Grand Duchy "61 cases of Mpox (clade II) have been declared, mainly affecting adult men. The vast majority of these suffered a mild or moderate form of the disease and did not require hospitalisation. No deaths have been reported so far," the Ministry wrote.

According to the latest risk assessment from the European Centre for Disease Control, for the general population in Europe including those residing in Luxembourg, "the risk associated with the Mpox clade I virus is considered low. The virus is transmitted mainly through close contact (skin-to-skin), particularly through sexual contact with an infected person," the Ministry added.

The health directorate says it has put "robust measures" in place "to monitor and control any emergence of cases using systematic contact tracing. Additional resources could be quickly mobilised if necessary to reduce transmission."

The press release further specified that Luxembourg maintains sufficient stock of the Mpox vaccine. However, due to the low risk in Europe and the Grand Duchy, the Ministry of Health currently has no plans to roll out a vaccination campaign for the general population.

Anyone who thinks they may have contracted the disease may contact their GP or the Health Inspectorate by telephone on 247 85 65 0  or by email on inspection.sanitaire@ms.etat.lu.

The National Infectious Diseases Service at the CHL can also be contacted on 44 11 30 91 or on 44 11 27 30 prior to visiting a doctor, hospital, or medical centre. In the event of a life-threatening emergency, contact 112.