There have been no suspected cases of mpox in Coventry or Warwickshire , a map has confirmed, as the World Health Organisation declares an international emergency. According to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), in 2023 and 2024 there were 269 cases of mpox in England. Of those 116 infections were presumed to have been acquired in the UK, 82 were picked up abroad and 71 are awaiting classification.
Read more: Anger as 'beautiful' trees to be axed for Coventry cycle lane So far, none of the cases seen in the UK have been of the clade I strain of mpox causing international concern in Africa. The map of recorded suspected cases shows that none have been reported in Coventry or Warwickshire, or neighbouring Birmingham. The closest suspected cases are in Cheshire West, Rushcliffe and Peterborough.
An upsurge of cases of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and other African nations represents a “public health emergency of international concern”, according to WHO. That is the same classification used in the past for Covid-19, Ebola outbreaks, and the 2022 outbreak of mpox in Europe. Professor Dimie Ogoina, chair of WHO’s Emergency Committee, said the rise in cases - along with the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain of the mpox virus - “is an emergency, not only for Africa, but for the entire globe”.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is an infectious disease caused by a virus. It can cause flu-like symptoms including fever, muscle aches, and .