Mpox: WHO and UKHSA on the new strain of the virus now reported in the UK

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While there have been limited cases recorded in the UK since 2022, these have largely been of the Clade 2 type, which is milder, while cases of the Clade 1 mpox strain are rare in the UK and are mostly confined to Africa.

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00:00What is happening in 2024 is a large number of cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo,

00:08including the appearance of a new virus strain, grade 1B, which is spreading fast from person

00:14to person.

00:15Unlike the outbreak in 2022, where it was affecting mostly men who have sex with men,

00:23this time it is affecting everybody, women, men and children.

00:30Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at the UK Health Security Agency, noted that

00:35mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, can spread rapidly within households and additional cases

00:39are not expected.

00:41She emphasised that the overall risk to the UK population remains low.

00:45Efforts are underway to identify and reach out to all close contacts of these confirmed

00:49cases to limit any other spread, and those individuals may be offered testing and vaccinations

00:53if necessary.

00:54Although mpox often spreads through close physical contact, the agency stressed that

00:59household transmission does not indicate broader community transmission within the UK.

01:04Mpox tends to be mild, but in some cases can cause severe illness and can be passed on

01:09through close person-to-person contact with someone who has the infection.

01:12It's important that travellers to affected countries in Africa are aware of the symptoms.

01:18These include a skin rash with blisters, spots or ulcers, fever, headaches, back pain,

01:25muscle aches, joint pains, swollen glands and exhaustion.

01:30If you're travelling to an affected country, we recommend you check the latest travel advice

01:35at Travel Health Pro.

01:37The NHS is offering the smallpox MVA vaccine to people who are most likely to be exposed

01:42to mpox.

01:43These include healthcare workers caring for patients with confirmed or suspected mpox,

01:47men who are gay, bisexual or have sex with other men, and people who have been in close

01:51contact with someone who has mpox.

01:53Ideally they should have one dose of the vaccine within four days of contact, but it can be

01:57given up to two weeks after.

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