The risk mpox poses to Ireland remains “very low”, according to the infectious disease watchdog, as the first confirmed close contact cases were reported in the UK.
In August, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the latest mpox outbreak in Africa a “public health emergency of international concern”, the WHO’s highest level of alert.
The type of the disease that is causing concern in Africa is caused by clade I mpox, which is different from the global outbreak in 2022 and 2023 which mainly affected gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.
On October 30th, the UK Health Security Agency confirmed the first case of clade Ib mpox had been diagnosed in the UK, with the individual having recently travelled to countries in Africa that are seeing community cases of the disease.
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However, on Wednesday, the UKHSA reported three cases of clade Ib mpox in household contacts of the first case, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the UK to four.
[ What is mpox, why has it been declared a global emergency and is it in Ireland?Opens in new window ]
In a statement on Thursday, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) said the HSE National Health Protection are “monitoring the situation in Ireland, UK and internationally. The risk to the Irish public is very low”.
No cases of clade Ia or Ib mpox have ever been detected in Ireland, the HPSC has said. Cases of clade IIb mpox in Ireland remain low, with 17 cases reported so far in 2024. There were 13 cases of mpox confirmed in Ireland in 2023 and 227 cases in 2022.
Mpox spreads through close contact, including contact with the skin rash of someone with mpox. People who closely interact with someone who is infectious are at greater risk for infection: this includes sexual partners, household members, and health and care workers.
Usually mild, it is fatal in rare cases. It causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions on the body.
“HSE is considering the need for a new vaccine programme now, in line with advice from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). Ireland has sufficient supplies of mpox vaccine through the EU HERA Joint Procurement Action to meet predicted potential needs over the next months,” the HPSC said.
“People who have received two doses of the mpox vaccine or have previously had mpox are considered protected from severe illness caused by mpox clade Ib. At this time, booster shots are not recommended.”
Mpox is an uncommon disease in Ireland that is caused by infection with monkey pox virus. Since December 2022, a large outbreak of mpox has been ongoing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in recent months, cases have been seen in neighbouring countries, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya and Uganda.
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