UK health officials claim that a person in England has been infected with a new strain of mpox, which was previously known as monkeypox.
The virus, which was discovered in a person who had just returned from a trip to Asia, is a mix of two major mpox viruses. Officials claim that they are still weighing the new strain's significance. According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), virus evolution is normal. Even though many people only get a mild case of mumps, getting vaccinated is still the best way to avoid serious illness. Clade Ib and Clade IIb are the two mpox strains that are represented in the new virus strain. It currently has no name.
UK health officials recently encouraged gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men to make sure they were vaccinated against mpox.
That call came as a strain called 'clade Ib' showed early signs of local spread in some European countries.
"Clade IIb" is associated with a 2022 global mpox outbreak that impacted numerous nations. Those who are most likely to contract mumps in the UK can get vaccinated: those who have multiple sexual partners
those who have sex in groups those who visit sex-on-premises venues
Health officials say the vaccine is 75-80% effective at protecting against mpox.
Despite the fact that it is anticipated that the vaccine will provide a high level of protection, there have been no studies conducted on how effectively it does so.
Dr Katy Sinka, head of sexually transmitted infections at UKHSA, said genomic testing had allowed it to be detected.
"Viral evolution is normal, and more research will help us learn more about how mpox is changing. "Getting vaccinated is a proven effective way to protect yourself against severe disease, so please make sure to get the jab if you are eligible," she said.
Prof Trudie Lang, director of the Global Health Network at the University of Oxford, said there were "excellent systems" to identify cases and control onward infection in the UK, but in other parts of the world, in more vulnerable populations, "this is harder to achieve", where access to vaccines is not as reliable.
Prof Lang said if further cases of this strain appeared in the UK and elsewhere, it would be important to understand how it's being spread and how ill it makes people, in order to assess whether it's more or less dangerous than previous strains.
There have been nearly 48,000 confirmed cases of mpox globally in 2025, and 2,500 in the past month, with most occurring in central Africa.
Dr Boghuma Titanji, assistant professor of medicine at Emory University, said the new strain is what experts feared would happen if mpox continued to spread worldwide.
"The more mpox circulation we permit, the more opportunities the virus has to recombine and adapt, further entrenching mpox virus as a human pathogen that is not going away," she said.
What is mumps? Mpox can be a unpleasant illness.
Common symptoms are lesions or a skin rash, which can last for two to four weeks, plus fever, headaches, back pain, muscle aches and tiredness.
The virus spreads from person to person through close physical contact, coughs or sneezes and touching infected clothing, bedding or towels.
Health officials say anyone who thinks they might have mpox, should contact NHS 111 for advice on what to do.
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