While there have been limited cases recorded in the UK since 2022, these have largely been of the Clade 2 type, which is milder, while cases of the Clade 1 mpox strain are rare in the UK and are mostly confined to Africa.
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00:00What is happening in 2024 is a large number of cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo,
00:08including the appearance of a new virus strain, grade 1B, which is spreading fast from person
00:14to person.
00:15Unlike the outbreak in 2022, where it was affecting mostly men who have sex with men,
00:23this time it is affecting everybody, women, men and children.
00:30Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at the UK Health Security Agency, noted that
00:35mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, can spread rapidly within households and additional cases
00:39are not expected.
00:41She emphasised that the overall risk to the UK population remains low.
00:45Efforts are underway to identify and reach out to all close contacts of these confirmed
00:49cases to limit any other spread, and those individuals may be offered testing and vaccinations
00:53if necessary.
00:54Although mpox often spreads through close physical contact, the agency stressed that
00:59household transmission does not indicate broader community transmission within the UK.
01:04Mpox tends to be mild, but in some cases can cause severe illness and can be passed on
01:09through close person-to-person contact with someone who has the infection.
01:12It's important that travellers to affected countries in Africa are aware of the symptoms.
01:18These include a skin rash with blisters, spots or ulcers, fever, headaches, back pain,
01:25muscle aches, joint pains, swollen glands and exhaustion.
01:30If you're travelling to an affected country, we recommend you check the latest travel advice
01:35at Travel Health Pro.
01:37The NHS is offering the smallpox MVA vaccine to people who are most likely to be exposed
01:42to mpox.
01:43These include healthcare workers caring for patients with confirmed or suspected mpox,
01:47men who are gay, bisexual or have sex with other men, and people who have been in close
01:51contact with someone who has mpox.
01:53Ideally they should have one dose of the vaccine within four days of contact, but it can be
01:57given up to two weeks after.