A FOURTH case of a new deadly mpox strain has been detected in the UK amid fears the “very infectious bug has been spreading for weeks.”
The newest case of Clade Ib mpox has been detected in a household contact of the first case, the UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) has confirmed.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases to four – 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 and the risk to the UK population remains low.
There are fears the number of cases could be even higher due to the disease being “undetected” in many situations.
Dr Simon Clarke, an infectious disease expert at the University of Reading said: “We can be almost certain that there will be undetected cases in the UK and other developed countries.”
He added that mpox can fly under the radar as symptoms can be non-specific or mild, and the skin rash could be confused with a rash from other illnesses.
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.
