Mpox outbreak UK: how many cases have been confirmed and worrying warning signs to look out for

• One more case of the deadly mpox clade Ib strain has been found in the UK.
• The patient is currently under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London.
• In August, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency after an mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Another case of the deadly mpox clade lb strain has been confirmed in the UK by the UK Health and Security Agency (UKHSA). The person infected was a household contact of the first case, which was discovered on October 30.

The patient is currently being looked after by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London where they are receiving specialist care. They had been isolating since being identified as a contact of the first case.

The UKHSA still describe the risk of catching mpox in the UK as “low”. 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.”

Professor Hopkins added: “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.”

How many cases of mpox are there in the UK?

There have been four cases of mpox, clade Ib variant found in the UK according to the UKHSA. All of the cases detected so far have came from the same household.

The first case was detected on October 30, the patient had recently travelled to countries in Africa that have community cases of mpox and were transferred to the Royal Free Hospital High Consequence Infectious Diseases unit.

On November 4, two more cases were confirmed, both were household contacts of the initial patient impacted, they are currently under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

By November 6, the fourth case was detected in a household contact of the initial patient. They had been isolating since being identified as a close contact of the first case. They are currently under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

What are the symptoms of mpox?

According to Doctor John Burke, CMO of AXA Health, the four most common symptoms of mpox include:

• a rash that looks like blisters across the face and body
• high temperature and chills
• headache, muscle aches, back pain
• a feeling of exhaustion and swollen lymph nodes

Dr Burke explains: “These symptoms can be confused with other infectious illnesses, particularly chicken pox. At the current time in the UK, a history of travel to Africa or exposure to a known case are important features and advice from a health professional is needed if there are concerns. If you do contract the virus, it is usually mild and most people recover within a few weeks without any treatment, and there is an effective vaccine.”

How is mpox spread?

Mpox is spread through close physical contact such as kissing, holding hands or sexual contact. It is very infectious in a household setting and can be passed from person to person by using the bed linen or towels of someone who has the infection as well as through droplets in coughs and sneezes.

The NHS describe mpox as a “rare” infection, with the risk of catching mpox in the UK “low”.

You can find out more about mpox, the signs and symptoms and who is eligible for the mpox vaccine at NHS.UK.