From The Brick Castle on Facebook:
2 years ago there was an outbreak of Mpox across the world. It was a new variant, labelled subclade 2b, the first time Mpox spread extensively from human to human, and expecially via sexual contact. Compared to previous human infections with Mpox the mortality rate was low - most likely around 1%.
The 2b outbreak has been fairly limited, especially where those who were most at risk could be quickly vaccinated using a jab derived from the Smallpox virus. Across most of the world it has petered out, although it has never gone away.
In DRC the original Clade 1 Mpox is endemic, and every year a few people are infected, this is a hazard of living in close proximity to disease carrying animals. Most humans infected are children, who can sometimes also infect other members of their household. Last Autumn the number of people being infected by other people began to rise sharply, and that rise has continued. The Clade 1 virus has mutated, or evolved, inside some of those human bodies, and it doesn't take a genius to see that it is more easily transmitted human to human. The mutated variant has been labelled Clade 1b, and it is this variant which has caused the PHEIC.
So far it seems Clade 1b Mpox is less deadly than other Clade 1 Mpox in the past, but possibly a little worse than the 2b 2022 epidemic variant. It is very hard to tell because DRC is mainly poor and rural, young children make up the majority of patients, and access to testing is limited unless people are taken to hospital or quarantine. Best educated guesses suggest Clade 1b has a mortality rate of around 1-3%, and it has already begun to spread to neighbouring countries, with at least 13 reporting cases so far. That's not good. Announcing a PHEIC allows WHO to free up funding and emergency resources. It allows poorer countries to ask for help with vaccinations and medical care. It is in all of our best interests that this is curtailed as quickly as possible, not least because every person it passes through is another chance for it to mutate further.
The risk from Mpox Clade 1b to anyone living away from the affected areas is currently LOW. Mpox is harder to catch than COVID. It is spread usually by skin to skin contact, caring for an Mpox patient or sharing clothes or bedding, or by close contact with infected animals (which don't exist in the UK). In graphic terms it causes spots which can become large, weepy and crust over, and the fluid or pus seeping from the sores/ rash/ lesions carries the virus, as do other body fluids - including snot and spit.
It is therefore possible to catch Mpox by kissing or holding unwashed hands, or even talking to someone, but you'd have to be in very close proximity or spend a lot of time with them.
The UK HSA are on alert, and any suspected Mpox should be treated seriously. Any confirmed Mpox will be tested to see which variant it is. From the beginning of 2023 to the end of July 2024 the UK has detected 286 cases of Mpox.
- 269 in England (116 UK acquired, 82 caught abroad, the rest as yet unsure)
- 11 in Scotland (3 UK acquired, 7 imported)
- 1 in Wales (imported)
- 5 in Northern Ireland (1 UK acquired, 1 imported)
NONE of these were the more serious Clade 1 Mpox strains, all were Clade 2b (the 2022 outbreak). At this point no Clade 1b infections have been detected in the UK.
Sweden yesterday announced they had detected the first case of the more contagious Clade 1b Mpox outside Africa.
The affected person had recently stayed in an area of Africa with lots of cases, sought early treatment and risk to the wider Swedish public is deemed to be low.
This will without doubt be the first of many.
Mpox usually isn't fun and you do feel poorly.
Common symptoms begin around 1-2 weeks after infection. They include a skin rash or pus-filled lesions which can last 2 to 4 weeks, and can leave a scar. It can also cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.
Most of the symptoms can be caused by something other than Mpox, including Chicken Pox or flu, so early identification can be tricky unless you know you've been in contact with an infected person.