UK Confirms Two New Mpox Cases

|By Adejumo Adekunle –

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed two new cases of Clade Ib mpox on Tuesday, bringing the total to three. Both new cases stem from household contact with the initial patient, highlighting the virus’s ease of spread in close settings.

Currently, the patients are receiving specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London. “Mpox is very infectious in households with close contact,” stated UKHSA’s Chief Medical Adviser Prof. Susan Hopkins, but emphasized that “the overall risk to the UK population remains low.”

Health Secretary Wes Streeting commended healthcare professionals for their prompt response and confirmed the government is securing more vaccines and offering testing and contact tracing to prevent further spread. NHS national director Steve Russell added that “local services have worked hard to vaccinate priority groups” and remain ready to expand vaccinations if needed.

The first case was detected on October 30 in a patient who recently traveled to affected regions in Africa and is being treated in a high-security unit. UKHSA is actively monitoring all close contacts to ensure containment, urging the public to stay informed and seek care if symptoms, like a rash or fever, appear.