UK health officials have said they are preparing for any potential cases of a new strain of mpox after the World Health Organisation declared outbreaks of the virus in Africa a global emergency.

The strain, known as clade 1b, emerged in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said there are currently no cases of the virus in the UK.

Its deputy director Dr Meera Chand said: “The risk to the UK population is currently considered low.

“However, planning is under way to prepare for any cases that we might see in the UK.

“This includes ensuring that clinicians are aware and able to recognise cases promptly, that rapid testing is available, and that protocols are developed for the safe clinical care of people who have the infection and the prevention of onward transmission.”

Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is passed on through close physical contact, including during sexual contact, kissing, cuddling or holding hands.

Symptoms include a high temperature, headache, muscle aches, backache, swollen glands, exhaustion, joint pain and a rash.

Before the spring of 2022, cases in the UK were usually associated with travel to or from countries where mpox is endemic, particularly in West or Central Africa.

However, in May of that year sustained transmission of the virus was identified in the UK, leading to a large outbreak, mostly in men who are gay, bisexual or have sex with other men.

A vaccination programme was launched in the UK in the summer of 2022 and closed the following July.

According to the UKHSA, there were 3,732 confirmed and highly probable mpox cases reported in the UK up to December 31, 2022.

In 2023 and up to July 31 this year, 286 cases were reported.

Of these, 269 were in England – with 116 patients presumed to have caught the virus in the UK and 82 outside of the country.

World Health Organisation director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the outbreak in DRC a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (2005) on Wednesday.

The virus had previously been declared a PHEIC in July 2022, but this was lifted in May 2023 after a decline in cases globally.

The clade 1b strain emerged last year, with 100 lab-confirmed cases also detected in countries that have not reported mpox before – Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda.

Dr Tedros said: “The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighbouring countries are very worrying.

“On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a co-ordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives.”