The first confirmed case of the new variant of mpox has been reported from the United Kingdom. The British health authority Health Security Agency announced on Wednesday that a traveler from Africa had tested positive for mpox of variant clade 1b. The risk of widespread transmission was considered low, according to the authority.
The first case of the new variant of mpox outside the African continent was reported in Sweden in August. Germany had previously reported a case.
The variant of mpox has spread in several central African countries. The World Health Organization WHO decided in August that mpox clade 1 should be classified as an international threat to human health. International efforts will therefore be coordinated.
