UK confirms two more cases of new MPOX variant

ISTANBUL

The United Kingdom reported two additional cases of a newly emerging variant of mpox known as clade 1b on Tuesday, bringing the country’s total to three.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said in a statement that the cases were identified among household contacts of the first patient, who was diagnosed in London on October 30 after returning from an African country badly hit by the virus.

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

She added that while the risk to the wider British public remains low, efforts are being made to trace all contacts of those infected to prevent onward transmission.

So far, only a handful of cases of this new variant have been discovered in Europe, with reports coming from Sweden and Germany.

The UKHSA continues to work with health partners to monitor and contain the spread of the virus.

Clade 1b mpox is a new variant that has been flagged as of particular concern by health authorities due to its potential increased severity.

Unlike other mpox strains circulating in Britain as of 2022, clade 1b is associated with more severe symptoms and a higher risk of complications, especially for vulnerable populations such as pregnant women.

Symptoms of Mpox typically include a bumpy rash with pus-filled lesions, fever, muscle aches and fatigue, with an additional risk of miscarriage if contracted during pregnancy.

This strain was first identified last year in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the disease has infected more than 25,000 people and caused more than 1,000 fatalities.

The World Health Organization declared mpox a global public health emergency earlier this year.

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