Fifth case of new deadly mpox strain detected in UK city – with NO link to other patients

A CASE of the new, mutant strain of mpox has been detected in Leeds, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has announced.

The new infection brings the number of confirmed cases of the virus in the UK, identified as clade 1b, to five.

3

3

Despite the rise in infections, health chiefs insist the risk to the UK population "remains low".

The new case has no links to previous cases identified that were all from the same household in London.

Those four cases have all now fully recovered, UKHSA said.

Officials don't yet know how the new person became infected with the strain.

Read more on mpox

POX ALERT

Horrific stealth mpox symptom on the rise - as 4 cases of killer strain detected

SYMPTOM CHECK

Risk of mpox being 'confused with chickenpox' as new strain detected in UK

But they had "recently" travelled back to the UK from Uganda, where the virus is spreading.

The new mpox variant differs from those circulating in the UK since 2022, appearing to be more contagious while remaining equally deadly.

The infected patient has since been moved to the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where they are receiving specialist care.

Health officials are now racing to trace their close contacts, who will be tested and offered vaccinations.

Most read in Health

HAIR THIS

Physical trait makes you '6 times more likely to go bald' - find clue in fingers

BIRTH TRAGEDY

Mum who begged 'don't let me die' after giving birth was 'left to bleed out'

IMPLANT HORROR

I'm paralysed after implant got stuck in my arm - 5yrs on docs can't find it

'TOTAL SHOCK'

After years of trying, a scan showed '1% miracle triplets' - then tragedy hit

Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said: “It is thanks to clinicians rapidly recognising the symptoms and our diagnostics tests that we have been able to detect this new case.

“The risk to the UK population remains low following this fifth case, and we are working rapidly to trace close contacts and reduce the risk of any potential spread.

"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.”

The UK reported its first case of the new strain in late October.

The individual had started showing symptoms during a flight back to London from a holiday in Africa.

Germany also reported its first case in October, following Sweden’s first case in August.

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral infection that causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions.

The new clade 1b variant started spreading rapidly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DCR) last year.

There have been cases reported in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and India.

Since then, it has infected more than 25,000 people and is responsible for more than 1,000 deaths.

This prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) to name the increasing spread of the disease a global health emergency for the second time in two years.

Mpox mostly spreads via close contact with infected people, including through sex.

Who can get the mpox vaccine?

The NHS is offering the smallpox (MVA) vaccine to people who are most likely to be exposed to mpox.

People who are most likely to be exposed include:

• Gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men (GBMSM)
• Some health workers that work on infectious disease inpatient units and sexual health services
• Some health and aid workers travel to affected countries to work within mpox response or sites with active outbreaks
• Close contacts of confirmed cases

The NHS mpox outbreak vaccination programme is currently only available in London and Greater Manchester, to people who live or travel to have sex there.

Healthcare workers will usually be offered two doses of the vaccine.

Men who are gay, bisexual or have sex with other men will be offered 2 doses of the vaccine. The 2nd dose will be offered from 2 to 3 months after the 1st dose.

Your local NHS services will contact you when you can get your 2nd dose.

Common symptoms include a skin rash or pus-filled lesions which can last two to four weeks.

It also can cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes

Most cases are mild but it can be deadly.

Professor Jonathan Ball, of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, previously said the new UK cases were not "not unexpected".

"There are active human-to-human transmission chains of Clade 1b monkeypox infections in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa, and therefore people coming into close contact with anyone infected is at risk."

3

Spreads more easily

It was earlier this year when scientists first discovered Clade 1b.

They said that it may cause milder symptoms than clade 2 which triggered the mpox public health emergency in 2022.

However, the new variant of the bug is believed to spread more easily through close contacts.

Mpox is a viral disease that occurs mostly in central and western Africa.

It was first identified in laboratory monkeys, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

READ MORE SUN STORIES

SAVVY HOLIDAYS

I'm a mum of two & spending Xmas holiday in Spain - it's SAVING me over £1k

ALL OVER?

Lily Allen 'splits from actor David Harbour' as she's spotted on dating app

Currently there is no treatment approved specifically for mpox virus infections, according to the CDC.

However, a two-dose vaccine has been developed to protect against the virus.