UK Reports First Cluster of New Mpox Variant Outside Africa

Four cases of the more transmissible Clade 1b strain have been identified in a single London household, with the risk to the public deemed low.

The UK Health Security Agency confirmed four cases of the Clade 1b mpox variant in a London household, marking the first cluster outside Africa.
The new variant, first detected in Congo, is believed to cause milder symptoms that can lead to undetected spread.
The World Health Organization declared a global emergency in August due to the variant's rapid spread across Africa.
The UK had previously faced a large mpox outbreak in 2022, with over 3,000 cases of a different strain reported.
WHO has allocated nearly 900,000 vaccine doses to nine African countries to combat the ongoing mpox outbreaks.