NHS doctors are on the lookout for mpox cases as a deadly strain was confirmed to have reached European shores.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a global health emergency – its highest alert – after a major outbreak in Africa.
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The first case to be detected outside the continent was spotted in Sweden, prompting the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) to raise its risk level.
Since then, one case has also been detected in the Philippines and three suspected cases in Pakistan.
The map above reveals all the 16 countries where the bug has been found so far.
Experts said the new mutant strain is more severe and lethal than the one that sparked panic in 2022.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said no cases have yet been detected and the risk to the population is ‘low’.
However, an infectious disease expert has warned the variant of mpox is very likely already in the UK.
Rapid testing is being made available and GPs and hospitals have been told to isolate those with symptoms of the mutant bug.
The Government is said to have enough vaccines and treatments to deal with an outbreak.
The NHS told the Sun it was “prepared to respond if any confirmed cases emerge”.
The outbreak of the deadly strain – called clade 1 – was first detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Since then, more than 17,000 mpox cases have been confirmed in Africa and beyond.
The highly contagious virus – formally known as monkeypox – is a viral infection that causes pus-filled lesions and flu-like symptoms. It is usually mild but can kill.
Following its latest risk assessment, the ECDC said it is “highly likely” Europe will have “more imported cases of mpox caused by the clade I virus currently circulating in Africa”.
It therefore increased its risk level assessment from “low” to “moderate” in relation to the chance of sporadic cases appearing in EU countries.
As part of measures to try and prevent the spread of the virus, the public health body is also advising travellers to “epidemic areas” to “consult their healthcare provider or travel health clinic regarding eligibility for vaccination against mpox”.
According to the NHS website, only men who sleep with men and staff who work at sex-on-premises venues are eligible for the vaccine.
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But the UKHSA told the Sun that eligible groups for vaccination will be kept under review as information about the current outbreak emerges.
“People who are travelling abroad can seek health advice from their GP or from a travel health clinic, as well as referring to the country information on the Travel Health Pro website,” Dr Mary Ramsay, Director of Public Health Programmes at UKHSA said.
“Currently the risk to most travellers is small, and vaccination against mpox infection is not recommended for the majority of people.
“Those travelling to areas affected by the ongoing outbreak should take sensible precautions to protect themselves from the risk of infection.”
Professor Paul Hunter told Sky News it is “very likely” there are already cases in the UK, however it has not been confirmed.
He said: “When someone gets an infection it typically takes several days before they develop the classic appearance that would make people think ‘oh, this is mpox’.
“Then it can take longer before the samples are taken and sent to the lab, it’s identified as mpox and sent for sequencing so we know which clade of mpox it is.”
And he said “only time will tell” if the UK will see the same levels of mortality being seen in Africa.
What are the different strains?
There are two main types of mpox – clade 1 and clade 2.
A previous mpox public health emergency, declared in 2022, was caused by the relatively mild clade 2.
That outbreak was brought under control by vaccinating vulnerable groups
However, this time it is the far more deadly clade 1 variant that is surging.
It has a fatality rate of around five per cent in adults and 10 per cent in children, compared to three per cent for its predecessor.
In April, alarm bells were raised when scientists found a new easier-to-catch strain of mpox called clade 1b which had “pandemic potential” in Kamituga, a small mining town in the DRC.
Doctor Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, from the WHO, warned: “In the past month, about 90 cases of clade 1b have been reported in four countries neighbouring the DRC that have not reported mpox before: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.
“But we are not dealing with one outbreak of one clade – we are dealing with several outbreaks of different clades in different countries with different modes of transmission and different levels of risk.”
WHO’S labelling of a “public health emergency of international concern” is meant to encourage member countries to begin preparing for the virus.
This could entail the sharing of vaccines and treatments with poorer nations.
Dr Josie Golding, from the Wellcome Trust, said it was a “strong signal”, while Emory University’s Dr Boghuma Titanji said the move “underscores the gravity of the crisis.”
Should we be worried?
Dr Jonas Albarnaz, a research fellow specialising in pox viruses at The Pirbright Institute, said:
“This news of a case of clade 1 mpox in Sweden is concerning for two main reasons.
“First, this is the first clade 1 mpox virus case outside Africa. This indicates that the extent of the international spread of clade 1 outbreak in DRC might be larger than we knew yesterday.
“And second, clade 1 mpox virus is associated with a more severe disease and higher mortality rates than the clade 2 virus responsible for the international mpox outbreak in 2022.
“This is hard to predict whether we will see further cases of clade 1 mpox outside of Africa, but this case in Sweden is a warning call for public health authorities to be vigilant and implement robust surveillance and contact-tracing strategies to detect possible new cases early on.
“It’s also critical to determine what is the link between this clade 1 mpox virus detected in Sweden and the ongoing outbreak in DRC.”
Monkeypox is a viral infection that causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions.
Until a few years ago most cases of it were reported in central and west Africa.
Like clade 2, most new infections in the DRC appear to have been sexually transmitted.
But there have also been cases of the new bug spreading through touch alone in schools and workplaces.