Two new cases of the version of mpox that has fueled a deadly outbreak in central Africa have been detected in Britain, according to the country’s health authorities. But the authorities say that the overall risk of a rapid spread in the country remains low. “Mpox is very infectious in households with close contact, and so it is not unexpected to see further cases within the same household,” Susan Hopkins, the agency’s chief medical adviser, said in the statement. The disease, formerly known as monkeypox, has been endemic in West and Central Africa for more than 50 years. A wider outbreak occurred in 2022, with the illness spreading to Europe, the United States and other parts of the world.
