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30th October 2024
03:16pm GMT
The first case of a new strain of mpox has been detected in the UK for the first time.
A single case of the mpox virus variant clade 1b was detected in London according to the UK Health Security Agency.
The patient is currently being treated at the Royal Free Hospital in London and had recently travelled to countries in Africa where there are numerous cases of the strain.
Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said that the risk to the UK population 'remains low'.
Over 1,000 deaths from this strain have been reported across Africa, prompting the WHO to declare a global health emergency.
Germany reported their first case of Clade 1b earlier this month.
Symptoms of mpox include a skin rash and/or pus-filled lesions which can last up to four weeks.
It can also cause fever, headaches, back pain, muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes.
It is typically passed by close physical contact, sexual transmission, and contact with infected animals.
