Announcements from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)

First UK Case of Potentially Deadly Mpox Clade 1b Strain Detected in London

Oct 30, 2024, 03:13 PM

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed the first UK case of a potentially deadly new mpox (monkeypox) strain, identified as Clade 1b, detected in London. The patient had recently returned from Africa and developed symptoms shortly after arriving in the UK. The individual has been transferred to a high-level isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London. Health authorities report that this new strain appears to spread more easily between people. Despite this, the UKHSA states that the risk to the wider UK population remains low. Officials are closely monitoring the situation.