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a new type of mpox – The The virus was formerly known as monkeypox. – Has been found in England, scientists have said.
The disease, which is spread through close contact with sufferers, including sexual contact, as well as through coughs and sneezes, causes flu-like symptoms.
Symptoms include chills, pain, tiredness, and eventually a rash that may form into blisters.
The UK Health Protection Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed that the new strain was found in a person who recently traveled to Asia, with experts saying the case is the latest evidence of how the virus is spreading and evolving globally.
Officials said they have identified a “new recombinant Mpox virus”, meaning it has genetic material from different viral strains.
Dr Katy Sinka, head of sexually transmitted infections at the UKHSA, said: “Our genomic testing has enabled us to detect this new mpox strain. It is normal for the virus to evolve, and further analysis will help us understand how mpox is changing.”
He added: “Although MPox infection is mild for many people, it can be serious. Getting vaccinated is a proven effective way to protect yourself from serious disease, so please make sure to get vaccinated if you are eligible.”
The NHS offers the mpox vaccine to people who are considered to be at higher risk of becoming infected with the virus, such as men who have sex with other men and those who have multiple partners.
Extant Mpox viruses are divided into two major genetic groups, known as clades. Clade I is the more severe strain, and has caused widespread outbreaks, including deaths, throughout central and eastern Africa, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo most affected.
Clade II, in contrast, was responsible for the 2022 US outbreak, is rarely fatal, and has maintained relatively low levels of transmission since then. The groups are further divided into groups A and B, with A having more severe disease.
UKHSA said genomic sequencing showed that the new mpox virus detected in England contained elements of clade IB and IIB mpox.
Trudy Lang, professor of global health research at the University of Oxford, said: “It is worrying that there is an mpox case in the UK, and even more worrying that it is a new recombinant mpox virus.
“This case highlights that MPOX is circulating and evolving globally, as can be predicted with these viruses.
“The recent experience that we have had, and is still continuing in Africa, when clade IB emerged, shows that this virus can cause severe disease, and so measures to reduce transmission and stop the spread are important.”
He added: “With clade IB, we saw a change in transmission, with close person-to-person contact as well as sexual transmission, a change from previous strains primarily limited to animal-to-human and within households, and previous European outbreaks where transmission was limited to close sexual transmission.
“Therefore, if further cases of this strain are reported in the UK and elsewhere in the world, it will be important to understand the route of transmission, presentation and severity of disease, so that we can assess whether this strain is more or less dangerous than previous ones and respond accordingly with a related global effort.”
The UKHSA said it would “continue to assess the significance of the strain”.
Dr Boghuma Titanji, assistant professor of medicine at Emory University in Georgia in the US, said: “The identification of a recombinant Mpox strain containing elements of both clade I and clade II is exactly what experts in the field fear would happen if the virus continued to spread globally without a decisive response to stop it.
“The main concern now is whether such events will alter the infectivity or virulence of the virus.”
According to the NHS, symptoms of mumps include a skin rash with blisters, spots or ulcers that can appear anywhere on the body, as well as fever, headache, back pain and muscle aches.
The rash usually appears one to five days after fever, headache and other flu-like symptoms.
Mpox is spread between people through direct contact with the rashes, skin sores or scabs caused by the virus, including during sexual contact, kissing, hugging or other skin-to-skin contact.
There is also a risk from contact with bodily fluids such as saliva or snot; coming into contact with bedding or towels or clothing; And it is likely to spread through close and prolonged face-to-face contact such as talking, breathing, coughing or sneezing.