Britain detects two more cases of new mpox variant
5/11/2024 6:12
Britain has detected two more
cases of the new mpox variant clade Ib in household contacts of
the first case, the country's health security agency (UKHSA)
said on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to
three.
The government agency that added the risk to the population
remained low. The clade Ib variant is a new form of the virus
that is linked to a global health emergency declared by the
World Health Organization in August.
"Mpox is very infectious in households with close contact
and so it is not unexpected to see further cases within the same
household," UKHSA said.
UKHSA said last week that the first case, in a patient who
had recently travelled to affected countries in Africa, was
detected in London and the individual has been transferred to a
specialist hospital.
The two new patients are also under specialist care in the
city, UKHSA said, adding that healthcare professionals are
equipped and prepared to respond to any further confirmed cases.
Nineteen African countries have seen more than 48,000
suspected mpox cases, including 1,048 deaths so far this year,
according
to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention
(Africa CDC), with cases in the continent surging by 500% from
last year.
Mpox clade Ib has also been reported in
Germany, Sweden, India and Thailand
. It is a different form of the virus from clade II, which
spread globally in 2022, largely among men who have sex with
men.
Mpox is a viral infection that typically causes flu-like
symptoms and pus-filled lesions, and while usually mild it can
kill. Clade Ib is thought to cause more severe disease than
clade II.
Both forms can be transmitted through close physical
contact, including sexual contact.
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