Central England Confirms 5th Mpox Clade 1b Case

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) today announced that a new Clade Ib mpox has been detected in central England.  

The case was detected in Leeds, and the individual is now under specialist care at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The UKHSA and NHS will not disclose any further details about the individual. 

As of November 29, 2024, this is the fifth case of Clade Ib mpox confirmed in England in recent weeks. This case is related to travel to Africa and has no links to the previous instances identified, which have now fully recovered.

In a media release, Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, commented, "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."

"Per established protocols, investigations are underway to learn how the individual acquired the infection and to assess whether there are any further associated cases."

According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 59,000 Clade 1b cases have been detected in 20 countries this year.

On November 22, 2024, the WHO Director-General determined that the upsurge of mpox continues to constitute a public health emergency of international concern.

This outbreak is unrelated to the Clade II global outbreak that began in May 2022.

Currently, Bavarian Nordic's JYNNEOS® (MVA-BN®, IMVAMUNE®, IMVANEX®) two-dose mpox / smallpox vaccine is available in numerous countries. The U.S. CDC recommends vaccination for people who anticipate sexual activities during travel to countries with ongoing person-to-person transmission of mpox.