The new clade 1b sub-variant of the mpox virus, formerly described as “monkey pox”, continues to sporadically affect our neighbors across the Channel. A new case has been detected in England, said the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) in a press release this Monday, January 20. This is the sixth confirmed case in the country since October 2024.
The case which was detected in East Sussex “has no link to previous cases identified in England”, specifies the government agency.
The person concerned had just returned from Uganda, in the east of Africa, “where there is currently community transmission of the Ib mpox clade”. The Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi are also particularly affected on the continent.
“The risk to the British population remains low”
Close contacts of this person are being monitored by British health authorities. “The risk to the UK population remains low following this sixth case, and we are working quickly to trace close contacts and reduce the risk of any potential spread,” warns Dr Meera Chand, deputy director of the UKHSA.
The UK Health Security Agency emphasizes that it expects “to occasionally see imported cases of the Ib mpox clade in the UK” due to “the outbreak in parts of Africa”.
France reported its first case of the clade 1b sub-variant of the mpox virus on January 6 in Brittany.
-A few cases have been detected in other European countries in recent months such as Belgium, Germany, and Sweden. Cases have also been confirmed across the Atlantic in Canada and the United States. China has also reported several cases.
This sub-variant is considered at this stage to be more contagious than the classic strain of the virus, with a higher fatality rate. It appears to cause rashes all over the body, whereas previous strains were characterized by localized rashes and lesions on the mouth, face or genitals.
Original article published on BFMTV.com
Health
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