First case of potentially deadly mpox strain detected in UK
The first case of the Clade Ib mpox virus has been detected in London.
The person involved had been on holiday in Africa and flew back to the UK on an overnight flight on October 21, developing flu-like symptoms more than 24 hours later.
By October 24 they had developed a rash, which worsened over the next few days, and they went to hospital on October 27 where they were tested and sent home to isolate.
They have now been transferred to the Royal Free Hospital high consequence infectious diseases unit for treatment.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the risk to the UK population from the Clade Ib mpox strain ‘remains low’.
Work is underway to track people thought to have come into contact with the person involved, with fewer than 10 people being tracked so far.
These are all household contacts, and the UKHSA is ‘still working’ on the number of people it may have to contract trace.
Clade Ib mpox has been widely circulating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in recent months and there have been cases reported in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Sweden, India and Germany.
As of early September, more than 600 deaths from the virus had been reported.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a public health emergency of international concern because of the rapid spread of the mpox strain.
Professor Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UKHSA, said: ‘It is thanks to our surveillance that we have been able to detect this virus.
‘This is the first time we have detected this Clade of mpox in the UK, though other cases have been confirmed abroad.
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What is mpox and is there a vaccine?
Mpox spreads from animals to humans and between people through close contact with someone who is infected – including through sex, skin-to-skin contact and talking or breathing close to another person.
Symptoms may first appear as a high fever and headache, accompanied by muscle pains.
Those infected are also likely to have a lack of energy in the first five days after contracting the disease.
They might also include backaches, swollen glands, shivering, exhaustion and joint pain.
The most telling symptom is a rash, which appears usually 1 to 5 days after an infected person first experiences symptoms.
It often begins on the face before spreading to other parts of the body, but can be confused with chickenpox.
While there are no specific treatments for monkeypox, vaccination against smallpox has proven to be very effective.
There is no direct cure for Mpox, but doctors aim to treat its symptoms, including clearing up the rash and managing pain.
‘The risk to the UK population remains low, and we are working rapidly to trace close contacts and reduce the risk of any potential spread.
‘In accordance with established protocols, investigations are underway to learn how the individual acquired the infection and to assess whether there are any further associated cases.’
According to the UKHSA, the UK has an existing stock of mpox vaccines and last month announced further vaccines are being procured.
This strain of mpox is different from mpox Clade II that has been circulating at low levels in the UK since 2022, primarily among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.
The UKHSA said that while the existing evidence suggests mpox Clade Ib causes more severe disease than Clade II, it will continue to monitor it and learn more.
It said it will initially manage Clade Ib as a high consequence infectious disease.
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