Britain identifies four cases of the new mpox variant, the first cluster outside Africa

LONDON (AP) — British health officials say they have identified four cases of the disease new, more contagious version of mpox which first emerged Congomarking the first time the variant has caused a cluster of diseases outside Africa. Scientists say the risk to the public remains low.

Authorities announced the first case of the new form of mpox in Britain last week, saying the case was being treated at a London hospital after recently traveling to countries in Britain Africa of persistent outbreaks.

This week, the UK Health Security Agency said it had now identified three more cases living in the same household as the first patient. They are also now being treated in a hospital in London.

“Mpox is highly contagious in households with close contact so it is not unexpected to see further cases within the same household,” said Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UK Health Security Agency.

The new variant of mpox was first discovered in eastern Congo earlier this year. Scientists think it causes milder symptoms that are harder to notice, making it easier for the disease to spread because people may not know they are infected. Its spread in Congo and elsewhere in Africa prompted the World Health Organization to issue a declaration global emergency in August.

Britain recorded more than 3,000 cases of a different type of MPox during a period 2022 outbreak which affected more than 100 countries.

The new variant of mpox has also caused outbreaks in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Some cases among travelers have also been reported in Sweden, India, Germany and Thailand.

To date, there have been approximately 43,000 suspected cases of MPOX in Africa, including more than 1,000 deaths, mainly in Congo.

On Wednesday, the WHO said it had allocated 899,900 vaccine doses to nine African countries struggling with MPox epidemics.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.