A new case of a more dangerous variant of the mpox virus, Clade 1b, been detected in the UK
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the new case - the sixth detected in the UK since October last year - was in a patient who is receiving specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust in central London.
The case was detected in East Sussex and the individual had recently returned from Uganda.
There is currently community transmission of clade Ib mpox in parts of central Africa.
Experts have said that Clade 1b is associated with more severe disease and higher mortality rates than the variant that caused the global mpox outbreak in 2022.
But UKHSA experts said the risk to the UK public remained low.
Dr Meera Chand, Deputy Director at UKHSA, said: “It is thanks to clinicians rapidly recognising the symptoms and the work of our specialist laboratory that we have been able to detect this new case.
“The risk to the UK population remains low following this sixth case, and we are working rapidly to trace close contacts and reduce the risk of any potential spread.”
Clade Ib mpox has been circulating in several countries in Africa in recent months.
Imported cases have been detected in a number of countries including Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden and the United States.
Mpox is a viral disease caused by the mpox virus, part of the orthopoxvirus family, including the variola virus responsible for smallpox.
While mpox is mainly transmitted from animals to humans, human-to-human transmission can occur through close contact.
The virus gained global attention in 2022 when it spread to multiple non-endemic countries, including Europe and North America.
