UK health authorities are investigating an unexplained case of mpox variant clade 1b, with no reported travel history or contact with other infected individuals. The individual, living in northeastern England, is the first confirmed local transmission of the strain outside the Democratic Republic of Congo. Despite the unexplained case, UK Health Security Agency officials say the risk to the general public remains low. Mpox, a viral disease related to smallpox, has two main subtypes: clade 1, mainly affecting children, and clade 2. The WHO first declared an international health emergency in 2022 over the spread of clade 2, which mostly affected gay and bisexual men in Europe and the US. Since then, vaccination efforts and awareness drives have helped reduce global cases, with the WHO lifting the emergency in May 2023.
Source: https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/uk-health-authorities-probe-unexplained-mpox-infection/120084281