Health authorities in the UK are preparing for possible cases of a new variant of mpox, after the World Health Organization declared outbreaks of the virus in Africa a global emergency.
The strain, known as clade 1b, emerged last year in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The UK Health Security Agency said There have been no cases of the virus in the UK. Dr Meera Chand, deputy chief executive of UKHSA, said: “The risk to the UK population is currently considered low. However, planning is underway to prepare for any cases we may see in the UK.
“This includes ensuring that clinicians are informed and can recognise cases quickly, that rapid testing is available and that protocols are developed for the safe clinical care of people who have the infection and the prevention of onward transmission.”
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is spread through close physical contact. The disease causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, and is usually mild but can be fatal. Children, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems are at greater risk of complications.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (2005).
The virus was declared a PHEIC in July 2022, but this measure was lifted in May 2023 after the number of cases declined globally.
The clade 1b strain emerged last year, with 100 lab-confirmed cases also discovered in countries where mpox had not previously been reported: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
Before spring 2022, cases in the UK were mostly associated with travel to or from countries where mpox is endemic, particularly in West or Central Africa.
However, in May of that year, sustained transmission of the virus was detected in the UK, leading to a large outbreak, particularly among men who have sex with men. That summer, a vaccination programme was launched in the UK, ending in July 2023.
According to the UKHSA, 3,732 confirmed and highly probable mpox cases have been reported in the UK up to 31 December 2022. In 2023 and up to 31 July this year, 286 cases have been reported. Of these, 269 were in England, with 116 patients believed to have contracted the virus in the UK and 82 outside the country.