Mpox is not the new Covid as authorities know how to control its spread, a World Health Organization chief stressed on Tuesday.
Europe regional director Dr Hans Kluge told journalists that strong action now was needed to tackle the viral infection.
Mpox, which causes pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms, is usually mild but can kill.
A case of the variant was confirmed last week in Sweden and linked to a growing outbreak in Africa, the first sign of its spread outside the continent.
Mpox has killed at least 450 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo in recent months.The WHO declared the recent outbreak of the disease a public health emergency of international concern after the new variant was identified.
Dr Kluge said that the focus on the new clade 1 strain will also help in the fight against the less severe clade 2 variety that has spreading globally since 2022, allowing Europe to improve its response through better health advice and surveillance.
Dr Kluge said: “Are we going to go in lockdown in the WHO European region, it's another Covid-19? The answer is clearly: 'no'.
"Two years ago, we controlled mpox in Europe thanks to the direct engagement with the most affected communities of men who have sex with men.
"In 2022, mpox showed us it can spread quickly around the world.
"We can, and must, tackle mpox together – across regions and continents.
"Will we choose to put the systems in place to control and eliminate mpox globally or will we enter another cycle of panic, then neglect?"
“How we respond now and in the years to come will prove a critical test for Europe and the world,” he added.
About 100 new cases of the clade 2 mpox strain are now being reported in the European region every month, added Mr Kluge.
Mpox transmits through close physical contact, including sexual contact, but unlike previous global pandemics such as Covid-19 there is no evidence it spreads easily through the air.
Health authorities need to be on alert and flexible in case there are new, more transmissible clades or ones that change their transmission route, but there are no recommendations for people to wear masks, said WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic.
