UK reports first case of new mpox variant

The U.K. has reported its first case of a new variant of mpox that has caused a deadly outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring countries, killing almost 1,000.
The risk to the U.K. population remains low, the country’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said. The case was detected in London, and the infected person had recently traveled to affected countries in Africa. UKHSA and its partners are following up with close contacts of the case and will offer testing and vaccination as needed.
“In accordance with established protocols, investigations are underway to learn how the individual acquired the infection and to assess whether there are any further associated cases,” said Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at UKHSA.
Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, causes a gruesome, painful rash and can be deadly in vulnerable people.
There have been just a handful of cases reported in Europe of mpox clade Ib, a new type of the virus that first emerged in the DRC. Sweden and Germany have both reported individual cases.
Mpox clade I is a more dangerous form of the virus than clade II, which caused an international outbreak in 2022. There have been more than 31,000 suspected mpox cases and nearly 1,000 deaths in the DRC this year.