More cases of new killer mpox strain detected in UK – as experts warn virus is ‘very infectious’
MORE cases of a new strain of mpox have been found in the UK, according to officials.
Two more cases of a potentially deadly strain of the mpox virus have been detected, in household contacts of the first case, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.
It brings the total number of cases of the Clade Ib mpox strain to three.
The two patients are currently under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London.
The UKHSA said the risk to the UK population “remains low”.
Professor Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at UKHSA, said: “Mpox is very infectious in households with close contact and so it is not unexpected to see further cases within the same household.
“The overall risk to the UK population remains low.
“We are working with partners to make sure all contacts of the cases are identified and contacted to reduce the risk of further spread.”
The first case of the new, more contagious strain of mpox was detected towards the end of last month.
The unnamed patient, who tested positive on October 29 in London, is believed to have contracted the Clade 1b strain of the virus while on holiday in an African country affected by the outbreak.
The new mpox variant is different from the ones circulating in the UK since 2022 and is thought to cause more severe disease.
The infected patient has since been moved to the Royal Free Hospital in London, a high-consequence infectious diseases unit where people infected with Ebola have been treated in the past.
Health officials are now racing to trace close contacts of the patient who landed back in the UK on an overnight flight on October 21.
Meanwhile, the NHS says it has plans to expand the vaccine rollout to offer more people protection against the virus if necessary.
More than 24 hours after returning home, the patient developed flu-like symptoms.
A few days later, on October 24, they started to develop a rash which got worse in the following days.
When they attended A&E in London on October 27, they were swabbed, tested and then isolated while waiting for the results.
Fewer than ten people thought to have come into contact with the patient were initially being traced, the UKHSA said.
These are household contacts, although the agency is “still working” on the number of people it may have to trace.
The infected individual doesn’t think they came into contact with anyone unwell while on holiday in Africa.
Who can get the mpox vaccine?
The NHS is offering the smallpox (MVA) vaccine to people who are most likely to be exposed to mpox.
People who are most likely to be exposed include:
- Gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men (GBMSM)
- Some health workers that work on infectious disease inpatient units and sexual health services
- Some health and aid workers travel to affected countries to work within mpox response or sites with active outbreaks
- Close contacts of confirmed cases
The NHS mpox outbreak vaccination programme is currently only available in London and Greater Manchester, to people who live or travel to have sex there.
Healthcare workers will usually be offered two doses of the vaccine.
Men who are gay, bisexual or have sex with other men will be offered 2 doses of the vaccine. The 2nd dose will be offered from 2 to 3 months after the 1st dose.
Your local NHS services will contact you when you can get your 2nd dose.
Germany reported its first case earlier this month, following Sweden’s first case in August.
Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral infection that causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions.
The new clade 1b variant started spreading rapidly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DCR) last year.
There have been cases reported in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and India.
Since then, it has infected more than 25,000 people and is responsible for more than 1,000 deaths.
This prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) to name the increasing spread of the disease a global health emergency for the second time in two years.
Mpox mostly spreads via close contact with infected people, including through sex.
Common symptoms include a skin rash or pus-filled lesions which can last two to four weeks.
It also can cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.
Most cases are mild but it can be deadly.
Professor Jonathan Ball, of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, said the new case is “not unexpected”.
“There are active human-to-human transmission chains of Clade 1b monkeypox infections in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and therefore people coming into close contact with anyone infected is at risk.”
Spreads more easily
It was earlier this year, when scientists first discovered Clade 1b.
They said that it may cause milder symptoms than clade 2 which triggered the mpox public health emergency in 2022.
However, the new variant of the bug is believed to spread more easily through close contacts.
Mpox is a viral disease that occurs mostly in central and western Africa.
It was first identified in laboratory monkeys, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Currently there is no treatment approved specifically for mpox virus infections, according to the CDC.
However, a two-dose vaccine has been developed to protect against the virus.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said last week that the Government is working with UKHSA and the NHS “to protect the public and prevent transmission”.
“This includes securing vaccines and equipping healthcare professionals with the guidance and tools they need to respond to cases safely,” he added.
“We are also working with our international partners to support affected countries to prevent further outbreaks.”