Mpox risk to UK low but medics on alert

UK health chiefs say they are making plans in case a new type of mpox virus is detected in the country – but they emphasise the risk is low.

It comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared on Wednesday that outbreaks in west and central Africa constitute a global health emergency.

Mpox, previously known as monkey pox, is a contagious virus that can cause painful skin lesions.

Plans are under way to ensure UK healthcare workers are aware of the key signs to look out for and have rapid tests available.

A case of mpox has also been detected in Sweden after a person became infected during a stay in an area of Africa where the disease is spreading.

One of the main reasons the WHO called for global action against mpox is the emergence of a new type of the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), known as Clade 1b.

This type of mpox has been detected in a growing number of African countries in the past year and there are concerns that it can sometimes cause severe disease and death.

Mpox has killed at least 450 people in the DRC.

Currently, there are no cases of Clade 1b mpox confirmed in the UK but experts say cases can spread if international action is not taken.

Dr Meera Chand, deputy director at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: “The risk to the UK population is currently considered low.

“However, planning is under way to prepare for any cases that we might see in the UK.

“This includes ensuring that clinicians are aware and able to recognise cases promptly, that rapid testing is available and that protocols are developed for the safe clinical care of people who have the infection, and the prevention of onward transmission.”

The disease – formally known as monkeypox – can be passed on by close contact with anyone with the infection or with infected bedding and surfaces, for example.

Common symptoms often include a skin rash or pus-filled lesions which can last two to four weeks, fever, headache and muscle aches.

Symptoms often clear up in two weeks but it can be fatal, particularly for people with weakened immune systems.

Children and pregnant women may also be at greater risk.

In 2022, the WHO declared a separate outbreak of Clade 2 mpox to be a public health emergency of international concern.

This was lifted in May 2023 after cases declined.

It spread to nearly 100 countries which do not normally see the virus, including some in Europe and Asia.

There was a large outbreak in the UK in May 2022, mostly affecting men who have sex with men.

A vaccination campaign helped to cut its spread.

UKHSA figures suggest there were 3,732 confirmed and highly probable cases reported in the UK up to the end of 2022.

Some 239 cases have been reported up to July this year.

Of these, 225 were in England, with 98 patients presumed to have caught the virus in the UK and 74 outside the country. Testing is ongoing.