Copyright bbc
Common symptoms of mpox include a skin rash or lesions filled with pus, which can last from two to four weeks. Mpox can also cause a fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, tiredness and swollen lymph nodes. It's a virus that spreads from person to person through close physical contact, coughs or sneezes and touching infected clothing, bedding or towels. In 2022, there was a global outbreak of clade II mpox which affected many countries worldwide and particularly gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). To date, there have been 16 cases of mpox clade Ib in the UK - all in England. But no evidence of spread within the GBMSM community. All cases have had direct or indirect links to travel to countries where that strain is circulating. Spain reported its first locally-acquired cases earlier this month, and another four cases were reported to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) among men in Italy, Portugal and the Netherlands. All five had mild symptoms. The ECDC says the cases had no travel history, which suggests "a different pattern of transmission" and indicates "that transmission may be occurring in sexual networks among men who have sex with men in several EU/EEA countries". Previously reported clade I mpox cases in Europe - around 30 - were all imported or had clear links to these imported cases. Richard Angell OBE, chief executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "With Winter Pride season soon upon us across Europe, those travelling to these events would be wise to get vaccinated, at least once, if not twice." Most people will be offered two doses, usually at least 28 days apart.
