Mpox: New case of Clade 1b strain detected in UK

Another case of the new strain of mpox has been detected in the UK, health officials have said.

It brings the total number of confirmed cases of the Clade 1b variant in the UK to four.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said all of the cases belonged to the same household.

Last week, the agency said a single case of the mpox virus variant Clade 1b had been confirmed in London.

The agency later announced a further two cases – in household contacts of the first case.

The fourth case is also a household contact of the first case, the UKHSA said.

The patient is under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London.

Professor Susan Hopkins, UKHSA’s chief medical adviser, said the illness is “very infectious in households with close contact and so it is not unexpected to see further cases within the same household.”

The risk to the UK population remains low, Professor Hopkins said.

What are the symptoms of mpox and how is it passed on?

Common symptoms of the disease include a skin rash or pus-filled lesions, which can last between two to four weeks. It can also cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.

Mpox, and the Clade 1b strain, is usually passed on by close physical contact, contact with infected animals, or sexual transmission.

The UK has a stock of mpox vaccines and officials said last month more were being obtained to support a routine immunisation programme.

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