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A new case of Clade Ib mpox has been detected in England, the UK Health Security Agency has said.
The case was detected in East Sussex and the individual is now under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.
They had recently returned from Uganda, where there is currently community transmission of Clade Ib mpox, also known as monkeypox.
A boy suspected of having mpox is tested in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. File pic: Reuters
It is the sixth case of Clade Ib mpox confirmed in England since October 2024 but the latest infection has no links to the previous cases identified in England.
UKHSA Deputy Director, Dr Meera Chand, said the risk to the UK population “remains low”.
The agency said on Monday it is checking the infected individual’s close contacts, with the help of partner organisations.
Contacts will be offered testing and vaccination where needed to prevent the infection spreading, the UKHSA said, and they will be told what, if any, further care is needed if they have symptoms or test positive.
Clade Ib mpox has been found in several countries in Africa in recent months and imported cases have been detected in several countries including Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, and the US.
Man with blisters on his hands from mpox. File pic: iStock
“Extensive planning” has been carried out so healthcare professionals are equipped and ready to respond to any further confirmed cases, the agency said.
The clade Ib variant is a new form of the virus linked to a global health emergency declared by the World Health Organisation in August.
Mpox, including the Clade 1b strain, is usually passed on by close physical contact, contact with infected animals or sexual transmission.
A skin rash or pus-filled lesions, which can last between two to four weeks are common symptoms of mpox, which can also cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.
However, in some people, the illness can be severe or lead to complications and even death, the WHO said on its website.
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Newborn babies, children, people who are pregnant and people with underlying immune deficiencies such as from advanced HIV disease may be at higher risk of more serious mpox disease and death, the organisation said.
The Clade 1b strain of mpox was discovered last year and traced to a Congolese mining town.
Scientists from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) declared a public health emergency over the new strain in August.
