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The United Kingdom has confirmed its first case of the new mpox variant, known as clade Ib, the country’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Thursday.
Mpox, a viral infection, typically leads to flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions. Although generally mild, it can sometimes result in severe disease or death.
Officials however assures the public to stay calm as the overall risk remains low.
The Mpox- clade Ib variant has gained major health significance since it was declared a health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in August, following an outbreak that originated in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and spread to neighboring African countries.
The case was identified in London in a patient who had recently traveled to countries affected by the virus in Africa.
UKHSA has reported that the patient has been transferred to a specialist hospital for treatment.
In response, UKHSA and its partners are actively tracing and monitoring the patient’s close contacts to aid management of the case.
The clade Ib variant has already been identified in multiple countries, including Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, as well as non-African nations like Sweden, India, and Germany.
According to health experts, the newly detected clade Ib is considered more severe than clade II, though both variants can spread through close physical contact, including sexual contact.
WHO data indicates that over 44,000 confirmed and suspected cases of mpox have been recorded across Africa this year, with over 1,000 deaths, most occurring in the DRC
