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THE FIRST CASE of Clade I Mpox in Ireland has been confirmed.
The HSE has detected one imported case of Clade I Mpox, it said today, adding that the public risk remains low.
The case was detected in an Irish resident who had recently returned to Ireland following travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where Mpox is circulating. The patient is receiving specialist care in a hospital in the east of the country.
Strains of pox are known as clades. The case confirmed today is the first time clade I Mpox has been detected in Ireland.
The HSE said the case is “not unexpected”, as small numbers of cases have been seen in Europe and countries outside Africa in people who have travelled from countries where Mpox is spreading in the community.
Director of National Health Protection at the HSE, Dr Éamonn O’Moore, said: “I would like to reassure the public that the risk to the Irish population remains low.
“Close contacts are being contacted by the local public health team. They have been given appropriate advice to reduce the risk of any potential spread and will be followed up with until there is no longer any risk of developing infection. As part of our public health work we are also investigating how the individual acquired the infection.
“The HSE is fully prepared to respond to this case as work has been ongoing since August 2024. We have been working alongside international partners and National Health Protection has been monitoring Mpox closely since the outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo first emerged.”
People who have recently returned from a country where Mpox is circulating in the community are advised to look out for symptoms for three weeks and seek medical advice if they have any concerns.
Mpox was previously declared a public health emergency in July 2022 after outbreaks of the virus in several countries, but this status was lifted in May 2023.
The 2022 outbreak – which resulted in more than 95,000 cases across 115 non-endemic countries including Ireland – was caused by clade II Mpox.
In August of last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that an Mpox surge in Africa was a global public health emergency.
That particular outbreak was caused by clade I Mpox, and cases of clade I have since been confirmed in a number of countries outside Africa.
Mpox is an infection caused by the monkeypox virus. The infection has symptoms similar to smallpox, although less severe.
Mpox is a zoonosis, a disease that is transmitted from animals to humans, with cases often found close to tropical rainforests where there are animals that carry the virus.
The condition can also spread from person to person through very close contact.
This can include:
Anyone can get Mpox but, during the outbreaks here in 2022 and 2023, most cases were among men who are gay, bisexual or other men who have sex with men (gbMSM).
It usually takes between five and 21 days for the first symptoms to appear.
The rash usually appears one to five days after the first symptoms. Some people only have a rash.
The rash can start on your face, then spreads to other parts of your body. This can include your mouth, the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet.
If Mpox has been spread through sexual contact, the rash can appear around your bum or genitals. It may not spread.
The rash starts as raised spots, which turn into small blisters filled with fluid. These blisters eventually form scabs which later fall off.
If you think you have Mpox, you should contact your GP or an STI clinic for advice.
If you do have Mpox, you will need to self-isolate until your rash is completely healed.
Self-isolation means staying indoors and avoiding contact with other people. This includes the people you live with.
If you have Mpox, self-isolate until your rash has healed. Your GP can tell you when it is OK to stop self-isolating.
If you live with someone who is self-isolating, avoid face-to-face contact until they have finished self-isolating.
Mpox treatment involves relieving the symptoms, there is no specific medicine available to cure it. Most people recover in two to four weeks.
Includes reporting by Órla Ryan
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