A single case of mpox – formerly known as monkeypox – has been associated to the recent outbreak in parts of Africa, has been detected in the UK.
This Clade 1b outbreak appears to have spread more easily between people.
Mpox has already been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization just this summer and the confirmed UK patient had recently been vacationing in at least one of the affected countries in Africa and began to feel sick 24 hours after flying home.
Eventually, the patient developed flu-like symptoms on 22 October and a rash two days later.
An mpox rash of pus-filled lesions can last for up to a month alongside other symptoms including fever, headaches and low energy.
Meanwhile, laboratory testing has confirmed that it was a Clade 1b strain. This form of the virus has been been the chief source of worry for scientists due to the way it spreads.
Its close relative Clade 1a is mostly associated to exposure to infected animals or eating bush meat but the Clade 1b seems to spread more easily from person to person through close physical contact, such as sex.
The infected UK patient is now being treated at the Royal Free Hospital’s specialist high consequence infectious diseases unit in London.
Meanwhile, in Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Burundi and Rwanda have all reported cases of Clade 1b mpox this year.
The Clade 1b strain appears to be milder than 1a, although it’s difficult to know for sure due to the fact that the precise figures on the exact numbers of people infected are hard to pin down.
The patient’s close contacts, some of which include housemates, are being traced and they are estimated to be fewer than 10 people.
Sweden, India and Germany have all detected cases of this strain of mpox linked to travel to affected countries.
This is a different outbreak to the one that primarily affected gay, bisexual and other men who have sexual relations with men in 2022, called Clade II.
