Contaminated people reside “in the same household as a person tested positive shortly after a stay in several African countries”, specifies the WHO, which emphasizes that these cases are “the first locally transmitted in Europe, and even the first outside Africa” since August 2024. On that date, the organization had raised its alert level in the face of the resurgence of Mpox cases in Africa.
Strengthening surveillance
Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said in a statement that although “the overall risk to the population of the United Kingdom and the region remains low”, local transmission of the clade 1b variant of Mpox requires strengthening surveillance. Health authorities are urged to intensify their monitoring systems and prepare for rapid contact tracing for suspected and confirmed cases.
Other potential cases
Currently, the two infected people are being treated at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London, according to the British Health Security Agency, which does not rule out the appearance of new cases in the same household. This infection follows a first case detected in London a week earlier, while other cases had been identified in Germany, Sweden and several Asian countries.
The epidemic still active in Africa
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a zoonotic viral disease that can be transmitted between humans, causing fever, muscle pain and skin lesions. The epidemic, active in Africa for several months, particularly affects the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi and Nigeria.
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