UK - 2024-2025 MPox

[sharon sanders]

UK Health Security Agency

@UKHSA
·
24m


We have detected a single confirmed human case of Clade Ib mpox. This is the first detection of this Clade of mpox in the UK, the wider risk to the UK population remains low. Read the full story here: https://gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-detects-first-case-of-clade-ib-mpox…



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UK Health Security Agency

@UKHSA
·
24m


Cases of Clade I are managed as a high consequence infectious disease and close contacts of the case are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. What do you need to know about mpox? Read our blog:

ukhsa.blog.gov.uk
Mpox clade I: what you need to know
In this blog post, we share more information about what mpox is, the different clades, the key symptoms and how UKHSA is working with partners to respond to the outbreak.

[sharon sanders]

News story

UKHSA detects first case of Clade Ib mpox


The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has detected a single confirmed human case of Clade Ib mpox. From: UK Health Security Agency

Published 30 October 2024

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has detected a single confirmed human case of Clade Ib mpox. The risk to the UK population remains low.

This is the first detection of this Clade of mpox in the UK. It is different from mpox Clade II that has been circulating at low levels in the UK since 2022, primarily among gay, bisexual and other men-who-have-sex-with-men (GBMSM).

UKHSA, the NHS and partner organisations have well tested capabilities to detect, contain and treat novel infectious diseases, and while this is the first confirmed case of mpox Clade Ib in the UK, there has been extensive planning underway to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any confirmed cases.

The case was detected in London and the individual has been transferred to the Royal Free Hospital High Consequence Infectious Diseases unit. They had recently travelled to countries in Africa that are seeing community cases of Clade Ib mpox. The UKHSA and NHS will not be disclosing any further details about the individual.

Close contacts of the case are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. Any contacts will be offered testing and vaccination as needed and advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive.

UKHSA is working closely with the NHS and academic partners to determine the characteristics of the pathogen and further assess the risk to human health. While the existing evidence suggests mpox Clade Ib causes more severe disease than Clade II, we will continue to monitor and learn more about the severity, transmission and control measures. We will initially manage Clade Ib as a high consequence infectious disease (HCID) whilst we are learning more about the virus.

Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said:

It is thanks to our surveillance that we have been able to detect this virus. This is the first time we have detected this Clade of mpox in the UK, though other cases have been confirmed abroad.

The risk to the UK population remains low, and we are working rapidly to trace close contacts and reduce the risk of any potential spread. In accordance with established protocols, investigations are underway to learn how the individual acquired the infection and to assess whether there are any further associated cases.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting, said:

I am extremely grateful to the healthcare professionals who are carrying out incredible work to support and care for the patient affected.

The overall risk to the UK population currently remains low and the government is working alongside UKHSA and the NHS to protect the public and prevent transmission.

This includes securing vaccines and equipping healthcare professionals with the guidance and tools they need to respond to cases safely.

We are also working with our international partners to support affected countries to prevent further outbreaks.

Steve Russell, NHS national director for vaccination and screening, said:

The NHS is fully prepared to respond to the first confirmed case of this clade of mpox.

Since mpox first became present in England, local services have pulled out all the stops to vaccinate those eligible, with tens of thousands in priority groups having already come forward to get protected, and while the risk of catching mpox in the UK remains low, if required the NHS has plans in place to expand the roll out of vaccines quickly in line with supply.

Clade Ib mpox has been widely circulating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in recent months and there have been cases reported in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Sweden, India and Germany.

Clade Ib mpox was detected by UKHSA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing.

Common symptoms of mpox include a skin rash or pus-filled lesions which can last 2 to 4 weeks. It can also cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.

The infection can be passed on through close person-to-person contact with someone who has the infection or with infected animals and through contact with contaminated materials. Anyone with symptoms should continue to avoid contact with other people while symptoms persist.

The UK has an existing stock of mpox vaccines and last month announced further vaccines are being procured to support a routine immunisation programme to provide additional resilience in the UK. This is in line with more recent independent JCVI advice.

Working alongside international partners, UKHSA has been monitoring Clade Ib mpox closely since the outbreak in DRC first emerged, publishing regular risk assessment updates.

The wider risk to the UK population remains low.

UKHSA has published its first technical briefing on clade I mpox which provides further information on the current situation and UK preparedness and response.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-detects-first-case-of-clade-ib-mpox

[sharon sanders]

hat tip Michael Coston


News story Latest update on cases of Clade Ib mpox


The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirms 2 additional cases of Clade Ib mpox. From: UK Health Security Agency Published 30 October 2024 Last updated 4 November 2024 —

See all updates
Two cases of Clade Ib mpox have been detected in household contacts of the first case, the UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) can confirm. This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 3.

The 2 patients are currently under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London. The risk to the UK population remains low.

There has been extensive planning underway to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any further confirmed cases.

Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said:

Mpox is very infectious in households with close contact and so it is not unexpected to see further cases within the same household.

The overall risk to the UK population remains low. We are working with partners to make sure all contacts of the cases are identified and contacted to reduce the risk of further spread.

Contacts of all 3 cases are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. All contacts will be offered testing and vaccination as needed and advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-detects-first-case-of-clade-ib-mpox

[sharon sanders]

bump this

[sharon sanders]

hat tip Michael Coston


News story Latest update on cases of Clade Ib mpox


The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirms additional cases of Clade Ib mpox. From: UK Health Security Agency Published 30 October 2024
Last updated 6 November 2024 — See all updates

One further case of Clade Ib mpox has been detected in a household contact of the first case, the UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) can confirm.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 4, all of which belong to the same household.

The patient is currently under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London. The risk to the UK population remains low.

The patient has been isolating since identified as a contact of the first case and no additional contact tracing is required.

Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said:

Mpox is very infectious in households with close contact and so it is not unexpected to see further cases within the same household.

The overall risk to the UK population remains low. We are working with partners to make sure all contacts of the cases are identified and contacted to reduce the risk of further spread.

Contacts of cases are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. All contacts will be offered testing and vaccination as needed and advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive.

There has been extensive planning underway to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any further confirmed cases.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-detects-first-case-of-clade-ib-mpox

[Michael Coston]

UKHSA Reports A 2nd Imported Mpox Clade Ib Case







#18,453

Four weeks ago the UK became the fifth non-African nation to report an imported Mpox Clade Ib case in a recent traveler to Africa. Since then 3 house mates of this index case have become infected, and we've seen the both the United States and Canada report imported cases.

Unlike the milder Clade II Mpox virus, which began its world tour in the spring of 2022, clade Ib is believed to be more virulent, and potentially more easily transmitted. For that reason, it has been designated a high consequence infectious disease (HCID) in the UK

Today the UK's Health Security Agency has announced a second imported clade Ib case, this time in Leeds.

Latest update

A new case of Clade Ib mpox has been detected in England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) can confirm.

The case was detected in Leeds and the individual is now under specialist care at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. They had recently returned from Uganda, which is seeing community transmission of Clade Ib mpox. The UKHSA and NHS will not be disclosing any further details about the individual.

The risk to the UK population remains low. We expect to see the occasional imported case of Clade Ib mpox in the UK.

This is the fifth case of Clade Ib mpox confirmed in England in recent weeks. This case has no links to the previous cases identified. All 4 previous cases were from the same household and all have now fully recovered.

Close contacts of the case are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. Any contacts will be offered testing and vaccination as needed and advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive.

Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said:

It is thanks to clinicians rapidly recognising the symptoms and our diagnostics tests that we have been able to detect this new case.

The risk to the UK population remains low following this fifth case, and we are working rapidly to trace close contacts and reduce the risk of any potential spread. In accordance with established protocols, investigations are underway to learn how the individual acquired the infection and to assess whether there are any further associated cases.

Clade Ib mpox has been widely circulating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya in recent months. Imported cases have been detected in Canada, Sweden, India, Thailand and Germany.

There has been extensive planning underway to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any further confirmed cases.

https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/11/ukhsa-reports-2nd-imported-mpox-clade.html

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr46n2l9q6do

New case of more spreadable mpox detected
5 hours ago
Cash Boyle
BBC News, South East

A new case of Clade Ib mpox has been detected in East Sussex, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed.

First detected in central Africa, this variant of the virus appears to transmit more easily between people. Symptoms include pus-filled lesions, fever, headaches and low energy.

The individual is now under specialist care at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. They had recently returned from Uganda where there is currently community transmission of Clade Ib mpox.

This case becomes the sixth to be confirmed in England since October 2024..

[sharon sanders]

Latest update


Another case of clade Ib mpox has been detected, bringing the total number of confirmed cases since October 2024 to 7, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) can confirm.

The individual had recently travelled to Uganda. The risk to the UK population remains low.

The UKHSA and NHS will not be disclosing any further details about the individual.

Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said:

The risk to the UK population remains low. Close contacts have been identified and offered appropriate advice in order to reduce the chance of further spread.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-detects-first-case-of-clade-ib-mpox

[Mary Wilson]

From: UK Health Security Agency
Published: 30 October 2024
Last updated: 31 January 2025

A new case of clade Ib mpox has been detected in England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) can confirm.

The case was detected in London and the individual is now under specialist care at the Royal Free Hospital High Consequence Infectious Diseases unit. They had recently returned from Uganda, where there is currently community transmission of clade Ib mpox. The UKHSA and NHS will not be disclosing any further details about the individual. ...

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ukhsa-detects-first-case-of-clade-ib-mpox

[sharon sanders]

Update


From 5 February 2025 UKHSA will no longer provide updates on new clade Ib mpox cases on a case-by-case basis. Case numbers will continue to be updated weekly, on a Thursday, within this statistical release.


Current confirmed cases


As of 4 February 2025, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed 9 cases of clade Ib mpox in the UK.


Cases reported by date


The first case was reported on 30 October 2024 with 3 further household contact cases confirmed. A fifth, unrelated travel-associated case was reported on 29 November 2024.

A sixth case was reported on 20 January 2025. A seventh case was reported on 27 January 2025. Both cases had a travel history to Uganda.

An eighth case was reported on 31 January 2025, the individual had a travel history to Uganda and there is no known link to any previous UK cases.

A ninth case was reported on 4 February 2025, also with a travel history to Uganda.


Methods and definitions


A confirmed mpox case is defined as a person with a laboratory-confirmed infection following a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.

Mpox surveillance data in England is based on mpox virus test results from the Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL), which is the UKHSA mpox reference laboratory, and other UK laboratories with mpox testing.

Any counts of confirmed cases in Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland will be submitted to UKHSA by Public Health Wales, Public Health Agency Northern Ireland, and Public Health Scotland respectively.


Further information and advice


See GOV.UK for further information on the background of these clades.

UKHSA has published a range of guidance and advice on the epidemiology, symptoms, diagnosis, and management of mpox virus infections as well as technical reports and risk assessments.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/confirmed-cases-of-mpox-clade-ib-in-united-kingdom

[kiwibird]

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/2025/02/05/the-new-mpox-vaccination-sites-opening-across-england-check-if-you-are-eligible/

• 12 new mpox vaccination sites have opened across England.
• Every region will now be able to offer the mpox vaccine, after it previously only being available to those eligible in London, Manchester and Brighton.
• The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have confirmed 9 cases of clade Ib mpox in the UK so far.

[Michael Coston]

UKHSA Reports A Case of Mpox Clade Ib Without Recent Travel or Known Exposure









#18,409

Three weeks ago the UKHSA announced that while - `Mpox remains a serious infection for some individuals and remains a World Health Organization (WHO) public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)' - the Clade I Mpox No Longer Meets the Criteria of a High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) in the UK.

Today the UK announced their 11th confirmed mpox Clade Ib case (see below).

What sets this case apart is - all previously reported cases have had recent travel to endemic countries, or known exposure to someone who has - while this case has neither.

Last updated 7 April 2025

Latest update

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has detected a single confirmed human case of Clade Ib mpox where the case had no reported travel history and no reported link with previously confirmed cases in the UK.

More work is ongoing to determine where the individual, who is resident in the North East of England, may have caught the infection.

The individual was diagnosed in March, all contacts have been followed up and no further cases identified. The risk to the UK population remains low. Clade Ia and Ib mpox are no longer classified as a high consequence infectious disease (HCID).

UKHSA has robust mechanisms in place to investigate suspected cases of mpox of all clade types, irrespective of travel history.

All previous cases in the UK to date have either travelled to an affected country or have a link to someone that has.

Common symptoms of mpoxinclude a skin rash or pus-filled lesions which can last 2 to 4 weeks. It can also cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.

Further information about symptoms is available on the NHS website.

UKHSA Mpox Incident Director Dr Gillian Armstrong said:

The risk to the UK population from mpox remains low.

The majority of people who have presented with symptoms report close physical contact, including massages, or sex prior to developing symptoms.

Regardless of whether you have travelled or not, it is important to remain alert to the risks. Anyone who thinks they may have mpox should contact NHS 111 for advice on what to do.

While mpox infection is mild for many, it can be severe for some and UKHSA is committed to preventing its spread within the UK.

Whether this turns out to be a one-off event, or an early indication of community transmission, remains to be seen.

Stay tuned.

https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2025/04/ukhsa-reports-case-of-mpox-clade-ib.html

[sharon sanders]

hat tip Shiloh

https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/multi-country-outbreak-of-mpox--external-situation-report--51---29-april-2025

[Pathfinder]

...
Countries reporting new importations of clade Ib MPXV
...
The United Kingdom: On 21 August 2025, the United Kingdom notified WHO of one case of mpox due to clade Ib MPXV in an adult male traveler with a recent history of travel to the United Republic of Tanzania. Health authorities in the country have undertaken contact tracing, given contacts the appropriate public health advice, offered vaccination to those eligible, and are monitoring the contacts for mpox symptoms.
...

https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/documents/emergencies/multi-country-outbreak-of-mpox--external-situation-report--57.pdf?sfvrsn=420b121c_4&download=true

[Pathfinder]

• UK Health
  Security
  Agency

Research and analysis

Mpox outbreak: epidemiological overview, 11 September 2025


Updated 11 September 2025

Contents

1. Current epidemiological situation of mpox clade Ib up to 31 August 2025
2. Current epidemiological situation of mpox clade IIb up to 31 August 2025
3. Data sources
4. Information about this publication
5. Additional resources

From 6 February 2025, this report contains the latest national figures for cases of clade Ib and clade IIb mpox found in the UK. Previous reports from June 2022 to January 2025 include data for clade IIb mpox only.

This epidemiological overview provides an update to the number of confirmed and highly probable mpox clade Ib and clade IIb cases in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Mpox is a zoonotic infection, caused by the monkeypox virus, that occurs mostly in West and Central Africa. Prior to 2022, cases diagnosed in the UK had been either imported from countries where mpox is endemic or contacts with documented epidemiological links to imported cases. Between 2018 and 2021, there had been 7 cases of mpox in the UK. Of these, 4 were imported, 2 were cases in household contacts, and 1 was a case in a health care worker involved in the care of an imported case. There was no documented community transmission in previous outbreaks. The first case of mpox clade Ib infection was confirmed in the UK on 30 October 2024.

Further background information on mpox clade Ib and clade IIb is available.

Current epidemiological situation of mpox clade Ib up to 31 August 2025


Up to 31 August 2025, 16 cases of mpox clade Ib have been reported in the UK. Of these:

• 16 were in England
• 0 in Northern Ireland
• 0 were in Scotland
• 0 were in Wales

To 31 August 2025, most of these cases have reported direct or indirect links to travel to countries where mpox clade Ib is circulating. More information can be found in the list of Clade I mpox: affected countries.

Figure 1 shows the monthly number of mpox clade Ib cases in England during 2024 and 2025.




Current epidemiological situation of mpox clade IIb up to 31 August 2025


Detection of cases of mpox clade IIb infection, acquired within the UK, were confirmed in England from 6 May 2022. The outbreak has mainly been in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men without documented history of travel to endemic countries.

Table 1 presents the number of confirmed and highly probable mpox clade IIb cases by UK nation of residence and likely acquisition route. Up to 31 December 2022, there were 3,732 confirmed and highly probable mpox clade IIb cases reported in the UK. Of these, 3,553 were in England, 34 were in Northern Ireland, 97 were in Scotland and 48 were in Wales.

During the period, 2023 to 2025 (up to 31 August 2025) there have been a total of 589 cases of mpox clade IIb reported in the UK. Of these:

• 543 were in England (244 cases were presumed to have acquired mpox in the UK, 182 were acquired outside the UK and 117 are awaiting classification)
• 24 were in Scotland (4 were presumed to have acquired mpox in the UK, 10 were imported cases acquired outside the UK and 10 are awaiting classification)
• 13 were in Wales (4 were presumed to have acquired mpox in the UK, 4 were imported cases acquired outside the UK and 5 are awaiting classification)
• 9 were in Northern Ireland (5 were presumed to have acquired mpox in the UK, 3 were imported cases acquired outside the UK and 1 is awaiting classification)

Despite continuing and regular imports of mpox clade IIb, it is likely case numbers during 2023 to 2025 remain substantially lower than that seen in 2022 as a result of high levels of vaccine protection suppressing transmission.

Figure 2 shows the monthly number of mpox clade IIb cases in England during the period 2023 to 2025, where there were between 1 and 40 cases per month, compared to the monthly high of 1,339 cases in July 2022.





Data sources


Mpox surveillance data in England is based on mpox and orthopox virus test results from the Rare and Imported Pathogens Laboratory (RIPL), which is the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) mpox reference laboratory, and other UK laboratories with mpox and orthopox testing.

Suspected mpox samples that are positive using a mpox polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test are classified as confirmed cases. Samples which are positive using an orthopox PCR test are classified as highly probable mpox clade IIb cases. Orthopox is the group of viruses which includes mpox. Counts for mpox clade IIb cases presented in this report combine both confirmed and highly probable cases, this should be taken into consideration when interpreting results, as counts may be an overestimate, however impact is likely minimal.

Laboratory data for mpox cases in England are extracted from UKHSA’s Second Generation Surveillance System (SGSS). These data are cleaned and deduplicated before being enhanced through linkage to data from Health Protection Teams reported through UKHSA’s case incident management system.

Counts of confirmed cases in Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland are submitted to UKHSA by Public Health Wales, Public Health Agency Northern Ireland, and Public Health Scotland respectively.

...

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...ic%20infection, in%20West%20and%20Central%20Africa.