A new case of the mpox variant clade lb has been detected in England, according to Britain’s health security agency. The case was diagnosed in March and all contacts have been followed up, with no further cases identified.
The individual infected is from northeast England and had no reported travel history or link to previously confirmed cases in the country. The risk to the population remains low, but the UKHSA is investigating how the person caught the infection.
Experts say it is likely that the infection was acquired through direct contact with an infected person, either by touching skin lesions or contaminated surfaces. The clade lb variant is a new form of the virus linked to a global health emergency declared by the World Health Organization in August.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/new-case-mpox-variant-clade-lb-detected-england-2025-04-07