Mpox has been declared a ‘global emergency’ by the World Health Organisation (WHO) - and our map reveals where it has been detected in England. The first case of a new infectious strain of mpox has been detected in Europe after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared outbreaks in Africa a global emergency. The WHO's stark warning comes as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other African nations grapple with a significant surge in mpox infections, elevating it to a "public health emergency of international concern".
This critical status has previously been assigned to Covid -19, Ebola, and the 2022 European mpox outbreak. Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) indicates that there were 269 recorded cases of mpox in England during 2023 and 2024. A staggering 116 mpox infections are believed to have been contracted within the UK, with another 82 linked to overseas travel and 71 still under investigation.
The UK has yet to encounter the clade I strain of mpox that's causing alarm in Africa. Professor Dimie Ogoina, at the helm of WHO's Emergency Committee, highlighted the alarming rise in cases and the emergence of a new sexually transmissible strain of the mpox virus, stating: "It is an emergency, not only for Africa, but for the entire globe". Formerly known as monkeypox, mpox is a contagious disease triggered by a virus, leading to symptoms akin to flu such as fever, muscle aches, and distinctive skin rashes or pus-filled lesions that persist for tw.