The first confirmed human case of Clade Ib mpox in the UK has been detected in London, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.

But it stressed that the risk to the UK population 'remains low'.

And Steve Russell, NHS national director for vaccination and screening, said there were 'plans in place to expand the roll out of vaccines quickly in line with supply', if such action were required.

Clade Ib case hospitalised while contacts followed up

Existing evidence suggests mpox Clade Ib causes more severe disease than Clade II, which has been circulating at low levels in the UK since 2022, primarily among gay, bisexual and other men-who-have-sex-with-men (GBMSM), the UKHSA said.

The individual infected with Clade Ib mpox had recently travelled to countries in Africa that are seeing community cases of Clade Ib mpox, and has now been transferred to the Royal Free Hospital High Consequence Infectious Diseases unit, the UKHSA confirmed.

And it said close contacts were being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations, and would be offered testing and vaccination as needed and advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive.

Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, added that investigations were underway 'to learn how the individual acquired the infection and to assess whether there are any further associated cases'.

The UKHSA added that neither it nor the NHS will not be disclosing any further details about the individual.

Steve Russell, NHS national director for vaccination and screening, said the NHS was 'fully prepared to respond to the first confirmed case of this clade of mpox'.

'Since mpox first became present in England, local services have pulled out all the stops to vaccinate those eligible, with tens of thousands in priority groups having already come forward to get protected, and while the risk of catching mpox in the UK remains low, if required the NHS has plans in place to expand the roll out of vaccines quickly in line with supply,' he said.

Under the government's mpox vaccination plans, vaccination will be offered to the below eligible groups. It will be rolled out in stages as the vaccine becomes available 'and based on clinical need', the government has said previously.

The mpox vaccine will be offered to:

  • gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) previously identified at higher risk of coming into contact with mpox as a continuation of the clade II mpox vaccination programme, as advised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) in November 2023 – planning is under way for how and when the vaccine will be rolled out as part of this existing programme
  • certain healthcare workers in agreed infectious diseases inpatient units and sexual health services
  • certain specialist healthcare and humanitarian workers who go to affected countries to work within mpox response or sites with active outbreaks following a risk assessment
  • close contacts of a confirmed case to lower their risk of becoming infected and reducing their risk of severe disease

Wes Streeting: 'We're equipping healthcare professionals with the guidance and tools they need to respond to cases safely'

Today, health secretary Wes Streeting said the government was 'working alongside UKHSA and the NHS to protect the public and prevent transmission', including by 'securing vaccines and equipping healthcare professionals with the guidance and tools they need to respond to cases safely'.

NHS England (NHSE) has published a pathway for community pharmacies to follow if a patient presents with suspected mpox.

Guidance for primary care settings includes using personal protective equipment (PPE) and isolating patients with suspected mpox in a closed room.

But the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) and the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA) have previously called for the government and NHS to ensure pharmacies have access to PPE. 

This came as the UK Covid-19 inquiry heard of a community pharmacy that was forced to rely on donated PPE from patients who were dentists during the pandemic because they could not access the NHS supply.

What is mpox?

Common symptoms of mpox include a skin rash or pus-filled lesions which can last 2 to 4 weeks. It can also cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.

The infection can be passed on through close person-to-person contact with someone who has the infection or with infected animals and through contact with contaminated materials. Anyone with symptoms should continue to avoid contact with other people while symptoms persist.