6th Clade Ib Mpox Case Confirmed in England

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recently announced that a new clade Ib mpox had been detected in England in an individual who recently returned from Uganda, where there is community transmission of the clade Ib mpox virus.

According to the UKHSA on January 20, 2025, this is the sixth case of clade Ib mpox confirmed since October 2024.

The case was detected in East Sussex, is unrelated to the previous cases identified in England, and the individual is now under specialist care at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. Close contacts of this new case are being followed up.

East Sussex County has a population of 820,000 and is located southeast of London.

'In the context of the outbreak in parts of Africa, we expect to see the occasional imported case of clade Ib mpox in the UK. The risk to the UK population remains low,' wrote the UKHSA.

Imported clade 1b cases have been detected in about 20 countries, including Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Sweden, and the United States.

The first case of clade I mpox in the U.S. was confirmed in California in November 2024

In a press release, Dr. Meera Chand, Deputy Director at UKHSA, commented, "We have detected this new case thanks to clinicians rapidly recognizing the symptoms and the work of our specialist laboratory."

Two types of the virus cause mpox, clade I and clade II. Furthermore, the clade II mpox continues circulating in various countries, including the U.S.

Since May 2022, when the Clade II outbreak launched, there have been a total of more than 102,000 cases worldwide, with more than 220 reported deaths. 

As a treatment option, SIGA Technologies recently announced that its antiviral treatment TEPOXX (tecovirimat 200 mg capsules, TPOXX) had received regulatory approval in Japan to treat mpox.

Furthermore, mpox vaccines continue to be available in various countries. On January 21, 2025, the European Commission announced the delivery of 10,000 doses of the MVA-BN® vaccine to Uganda to support the country's response to the ongoing mpox outbreak.

As of January 22, 2025, mpox vaccines are available at many clinics and pharmacies in the UK and the U.S.