A new mpox virus strain found in a person who recently travelled to Asia has been described by scientists as being 'precisely what experts in the field feared would happen'.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed it had alerted the World Health Organisation (WHO) after the 'hybrid' strain of mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, was confirmed in England.

This particular strain of the virus was verified through tests to be 'recombinant' , meaning it contains genetic material from two different mpox clades that are currently across the globe .

Mpox is a viral infection causing fever, headaches, muscle aches, and a distinctive rash with blisters, similar to smallpox, of the same viral family, and is spread through close contact with infected people, animals, or contaminated mat

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