New hybrid mpox strain discovered in UK after US reports local spread
A new strain of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, has been detected in the United Kingdom, according to health officials.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said in a Dec. 8 statement that a new recombinant mpox virus had been identified in England in a person who recently visited Asia. The new strain is a mix of clade (or type) II and clade I, the latter of which is associated with more severe illness.
"This is not unexpected as both clades are circulating, but highlights the continued potential for mpox virus to evolve and the importance of continued genomic surveillance," said the UKHSA statement.
The agency was already monitoring the presence of the illness after reports of locally-acquired cases came out of the U.S., Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal in October. Locally acquired cases, or those that were contracted by people who have not recently traveled to a country where the virus is commonly found, are less prevalent in some areas, including the U.S.
Earlier this year, California health officials announced the first known case of clade I mpox to spread locally in the U.S.
