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A new, more infectious strain of mpox has been detected in the UK for the first time.

The single case of the mpox virus variant Clade 1b was detected in a patient who is being treated at the Royal Free Hospital in London, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

The UKHSA has said the risk to the population “remains extremely low” as it traces less than 10 direct contacts since the case was discovered.

Is the new strain worse?

The new variant that has emerged is known as Clade 1b, and is believed to cause milder symptoms than other strands of mpox, but it concerns health officials because it spreads more easily through close contact, particularly among children.

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Clade 1b appears to be less severe than some other strains, with countries where it is circulating reporting around a tenfold reduction in case fatality rate, according to the UKHSA.

It was first detected in a mining town in the DRC earlier this year, before it spread to neighbouring countries.

What do we know about the UK case?

The case was confirmed to the UKHSA on Tuesday, which says the person involved had been on holiday in Africa and travelled back to the UK on an overnight flight on 21 October.

More than 24 hours later, they developed flu-like symptoms and on 24 October, started to develop a rash which got worse in the following days.

When they attended A&E in London on 27 October, they were swabbed, tested and then isolated while waiting for their results.

Fewer than 10 direct contacts are being traced after the discovery, and Professor Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at UKHSA, said the “risk to the UK population remains low”.

Has there been an outbreak in the UK before?

There have been cases of mpox in the UK before, with most seen in 2022 when there was a global outbreak of a less infectious strain which spread to more than 100 countries, prompting the WHO to declare a public health emergency of international concern on 23 July 2022.

A total of 2,137 cases had been confirmed in the UK at that stage, but by 31 December 2022 that number had soared to 3,732 cases – 3,553 were in England, 34 in Northern Ireland, 97 in Scotland and 48 in Wales.

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

But in May that year, there was a large outbreak in the UK, 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.

There have been no reported deaths due to mpox in the UK.

Where else has the Clade 1b strain been found?

The total number of suspected cases in Africa since the beginning of the year now stands at 42,438, with 8,113 confirmed as mpox, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

At least 1,000 deaths have been reported across Africa, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare the increasing spread of the disease a global health emergency.

The first case of the variant outside of Africa was confirmed in Sweden in August, while one was also reported in Thailand and another in India earlier this month.

Germany also reported its first Clade 1b case on 22 October.

What are the symptoms?

Common symptoms of mpox are a skin rash or pus-filled lesions which can last two to four weeks.

The rashes can be located anywhere on the body and some people may only have one, while others can have hundreds or more.

These are other symptoms listed by the CDC:

  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Exhaustion
  • Muscle aches and backache
  • Headache
  • Respiratory symptoms (e.g., sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough)

The WHO says people may start to feel unwell before they get a rash or skin lesions, while for others the skin symptoms can be the first or only sign.

People with more severe mpox can suffer with the following symptoms, according to the WHO:

  • More widespread lesions – especially in the mouth, eyes, and genitals
  • Severe bacterial infections
  • Lung infections
  • Mpox affecting the brain (encephalitis)
  • Heart (myocarditis)
  • Lungs (pneumonia)
  • Eye problems

Newborn babies, children, people who are pregnant and people with underlying immune deficiencies may be at higher risk of more serious mpox disease and death, the WHO adds.

How is it treated?

Currently, there is no treatment approved specifically for mpox infections, according to the CDC.

It says that for most patients with mpox who have intact immune systems and don’t have a skin disease, supportive care and pain control will help them recover without medical treatment.

People with severe mpox may require hospital treatment, supportive care and antiviral medicines to reduce the severity of lesions and shorten the time to recovery, the WHO says.

Many years of research on treatments for smallpox have led to the development of products that may also be useful for treating mpox, it adds.

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It says an antiviral developed to treat smallpox called tecovirimat was approved by the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of mpox under exceptional circumstances in 2022. It also said its use for mpox has been limited so far.

However, a two-dose vaccine has been developed to protect against the virus, which is widely available in Western countries but not in Africa.

Scientists from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) say they need more than 10 million vaccine doses but only 200,000 are available.

What is mpox?

It is a viral disease that has occurred mostly in central and western Africa.

Mpox has been endemic in parts of Africa for decades after it was first detected in humans in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 1970, having originally been identified in laboratory monkeys, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

It used to be known as monkeypox, but was renamed in 2022 by the WHO after receiving complaints that the original name was “racist and stigmatising”.

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Man who died after being hit by bus in Cowgate, Edinburgh, named

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Man who died after being hit by bus in Cowgate, Edinburgh, named

A man who died after being hit by a bus in Edinburgh has been named.

Michael Leneghen, 74, died after being struck at around 7.25pm on Saturday 2 November in the Cowgate area of the city.

On the day of the incident, police issued a warning for members of the public not to share distressing images and videos circulating online.

In a statement, Mr Leneghen’s family thanked members of the public and emergency services who were involved and asked for privacy.

A single-decker bus collided with Mr Leneghen, who was on foot, Police Scotland say.

Police close roads around Cowgate in Edinburgh after incident

Sergeant Paul Ewing of Edinburgh‘s road policing unit said the force’s thoughts were with Mr Leneghen’s family and friends “as well as everyone affected by this tragic incident”.

“Our enquiries remain ongoing. We have already spoken to a number of people who were in the area at the time and work is ongoing to check public and private CCTV footage,” he added.

“We are still keen to hear from anyone who has not yet spoken to police.”

Chief Inspector Trisha Clark, the local area commander, previously said police were “aware of videos and images circulating on social media which are causing distress to the deceased’s family”.

“We would ask members of the public not to share them out of respect for his family, and to report them to the relevant social media platform to prevent further circulation,” she added.

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Ms Clark added that while there had been a lot of speculation, it was an “isolated incident” and there was “no risk to the wider public”.

Officers have asked anyone with information which could help the police investigation to get in touch.

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MP Mike Amesbury charged with common assault after incident in Cheshire street

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MP Mike Amesbury charged with common assault after incident in Cheshire street

MP Mike Amesbury has been charged with common assault following an incident in Frodsham, Cheshire, last month.

The charge comes after a video emerged of him appearing to punch a man to the ground.

Cheshire Police said the 55-year-old will appear at a magistrates court at a later date to face the assault charge.

In a statement, police said the charge “relates to reports of an assault on a 45-year-old man on Main Street, Frodsham, which was reported to police at 2.48am on Saturday 26 October”.

Rosemary Ainslie, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime division, said: “Following a review of the evidence provided by Cheshire Police, we have authorised a charge of common assault against Mike Amesbury MP, 55.

“The charge follows an alleged assault in Frodsham, Cheshire, on Saturday, 26 October 2024.

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“The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against the defendant are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.”

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In a statement, Mr Amesbury said: “I have today been summonsed to court to face a charge of common assault following an incident in Frodsham last month, which was deeply regrettable.

“I am continuing to cooperate with police and given this is an ongoing case I cannot comment further.”

Labour suspended Mr Amesbury from the party so he is now an independent MP for Runcorn and Helsby.

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Premier League figure subject of FA safeguarding inquiry

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Premier League figure subject of FA safeguarding inquiry

A reportedly well-known Premier League figure is the subject of a Football Association (FA) safeguarding inquiry.

It follows allegations of sexual offences perpetrated by the man – cases which have since been dropped by police.

A spokesperson for the FA said: “We have robust safeguarding measures in place, and all referrals into us are handled in line with our policies and procedures.

“We investigate and assess all allegations and concerns about individuals who may pose a risk of harm to children and adults at risk in football and, where applicable, can impose proportionate safeguarding measures in accordance with FA safeguarding regulations.

“We do not comment on individual cases.”

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The governing body’s safeguarding regulations allow it to impose an interim suspension order.

This blocks the individual from some or all activity within the game while the investigation is carried out.

Such an order can be imposed where the FA receives information that causes it “reasonably to believe that a person poses or may pose a risk of harm”.

The investigation will be led by the FA’s professional game safeguarding manager.

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