WHO says UAE reports first case of new clade 1b mpox

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday revealed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reported its first case of clade 1b mpox in an individual who had a recent history of travel to Uganda.

According to a recent multi-country external situation report by WHO, the unnamed individual, whose age has not been disclosed, was identified as the UAE's first case of the disease on February 7.

The patient had recently travelled to Uganda, a nation that has recorded 2,479 confirmed mpox cases and 16 deaths since the outbreak of the disease in July.

In the report, WHO detailed that the African country also reported 1,127 confirmed cases — the second-highest number of laboratory-confirmed cases — in the past six weeks, which constitute over a third of all confirmed cases on the continent during this period.

The country continues to observe an escalation in the outbreak as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi report more stable trends in recent months, the report said.

Mpox is a viral disease related to the now-eradicated smallpox virus and can spread through close contact and through contaminated materials like sheets, clothing and needles, according to WHO.

The patient in the UAE started experiencing mpox symptoms on January 11 and was diagnosed with the disease on January 18.

The patient, whose age has not been disclosed, is currently receiving treatment in a hospital.

Additionally, at least seven cases of mpox have been identified in other countries among travellers returning from the UAE, indicating possible community transmission within the country, according to WHO.

The United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revealed that while some outbreaks of clade I mpox have killed up to 10% of people who get sick, more recent outbreaks have had lower death rates.

Those at risk of having more severe infections include infants, people with severely weakened immune systems and pregnant women.