Mpox is now an international emergency declared by the World Health Organization. Our map indicates the location of diagnoses of suspected cases of Mpox in England. Thankfully, there are no suspected cases in Cornwall yet, but it has hit the southwest.
“The increase in cases of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other African nations, in the words of the World Health Organization, represents a ‘public health emergency of international concern.’ That’s the same classification it used for Covid-19, Ebola outbreaks, and the 2022 outbreak of mpox in Europe.”
Professor Dimie Ogoina, who chairs WHO’s Emergency Committee said that the increasing number of cases reported raises an alarm, coupled with the emergence and spread of a new strain that is sexually transmissible, mpox virus, is an emergency not only for Africa but for the entire globe. In the United Kingdom, cases of mpox have up to now primarily been detected in gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men.
According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), there have been 269 cases of mpox in England in 2023 and 2024. Of those, 116 infections were presumed to have been acquired in the UK, 82 were picked up abroad and 71 are awaiting classification. None of the cases seen so far in the UK have been of the Clade I strain of mpox which is causing international concern in Africa.
In the last 52 weeks to the end of June, UKHSA has received 90 statutory notifications of infectious diseases [NOIDs] in respect of suspected cases of mpox. These are warning alerts to UKHSA from GPs at a time of every diagnosis of a suspected case of one of several dozens of notifiable infectious diseases, one of which is mpox, to give an advanced warning of possible outbreaks in other parts of the country.
There are two in Somerset but most of the suspected mpox cases have been seen in London, particularly Lambeth, where 10 possible cases were diagnosed, and Southwark (eight). Suspected cases have also been seen in other parts of the country, including Manchester, Suffolk, and Yorkshire. Our interactive map lets you see where suspected cases have been identified in the last 52 weeks.
Dr Meera Chand, deputy director at UKHSA, said: “The risk to the UK population is currently considered low. However, planning is underway to prepare for any cases that we might see in the UK.”
“This includes ensuring that clinicians are now alert and capable of identifying cases immediately, that rapid testing is available, and that safe protocols are developed for clinical care and prevention to avoid further transmission.”
According to WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighboring countries are very worrying. On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives.
