First mpox case linked to African outbreak reported in U.K.
- The UK Health Security Agency on Wednesday confirmed the first human mpox case caused by the Clade 1b variant linked to the ongoing mpox outbreak in Africa.
- The agency said a single mpox case was detected in London, and the patient’s close contacts are under investigation.
- The individual, who has a travel history to countries in Africa, is being treated at the Royal Free Hospital in London. The UKHSA added that the risk to the UK population from a potential community transmission of the virus remains low.
- In August, the WHO declared the current mpox outbreak, which started in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a global public health emergency.
- Mpox clade I, responsible for the outbreak, is believed to be more virulent than the version that caused the previous mpox outbreak in 2022.