- WHO confirmed two mpox cases with a new recombinant virus strain from UK and India
- Both cases had mild symptoms and no severe outcomes or secondary infections reported
- Recombination occurs naturally when two virus strains exchange genetic material
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed two cases of a newly identified recombinant mpox virus strain, which contains genetic material from two known strains. WHO has also highlighted the need for continued genomic surveillance. The first case was reported in the United Kingdom, who had a travel history to a country in South-East Asia. The second case from India has a travel history to a country in the Arabian Peninsula. The WHO report says, "Detailed analysis of the virus genomes shows that the two individuals fell ill several weeks apart with the same recombinant strain. Both cases had similar clinical presentation to that observed for other clades."
Recombination is a known natural process that can occur when two related viruses infecting the same individual exchange genetic material, producing a new virus.
The two reported cases suggest "that there may be further cases than are currently reported." However, in both these cases, neither patient "experienced severe outcomes. Contact tracing for both cases in the reporting countries has been completed; no secondary cases were detected."
What Is Mpox?
Mpox, earlier known as monkeypox, is a viral infection which causes rash and flu-like symptoms. This rash is similar to the one caused by a related virus, smallpox. Mpox usually spreads between people through close contact, and occasionally from the environment to people through things and surfaces that have been touched by a person with mpox.
The Two Recombinant Mpox Cases
According to WHO, the case in the UK was detected in December 2025. Initial findings "identified the virus as clade Ib, but whole genome sequencing later revealed that it contained genetic regions from both clade Ib and clade IIb strains."
On the other hand, the patient in India had symptoms in September 2025 and was classified as infected with clade II of the mpox virus. "However, following updates to global genomic databases, the virus was reclassified as the same recombinant strain identified in the UK. The Indian case represents the earliest known detection of this strain."
WHO said, "Due to the small number of cases found to date, conclusions about transmissibility or clinical characterization of mpox due to recombinant strains would be premature, and it remains essential to maintain vigilance regarding this development."
According to WHO, the overall risk assessment remains unchanged. The risk remains moderate for men who have sex with men with new and/or multiple partners and for sex workers or others with multiple casual sexual partners, and low for the general population without specific risk factors.
What Are The Different Types Of Mpox?
The mpox has two known subtypes, which includes Clade I and Clade II. Clade I is endemic to Central Africa and it causes more serious illness than clade II. On the other hand, Clade II is endemic to East Africa and there has been a global outbreak of clade II mpox since 2022. This strain of mpox is likely to be less fatal than clade I.
What Are The Symptoms Of Mpox?
Some of the most common symptoms of mpox are:
- Rash, skin ulcers or blisters
- Fever
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Chills
- Headache
- Muscle aches
- Fatigue
Cleveland Clinic says that not everyone with mpox develops all the symptoms. People might also have other symptoms, which include:
Only a rash (no other symptoms), or other symptoms developing later
Flu-like symptoms, then a rash. Some people don't get a rash at all
What Is The Current Situation?
WHO says that all clades of the mpox virus continue to circulate. "Unless mpox outbreaks are rapidly contained and human-to-human transmission is interrupted, there is a risk of sustained community transmission."
The WHO report January 2026 states that in December 2025, 31 countries across five WHO regions (European Region excluded) reported a total of 1040 new confirmed mpox cases, including six deaths (case fatality ratio [CFR] 0.6%). Of these, 78% were reported in the African Region.
Four regions observed a decline in confirmed cases in December, compared to November 2025, while the Eastern Mediterranean Region reported more cases than the previous month. Fifteen countries in Africa reported active transmission of mpox in the last six weeks (7 December 2025 - 18 January 2026), with 871 confirmed cases, including five deaths (CFR 0.6%). Countries that reported the highest number of cases in this period include the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Madagascar, Liberia and Ghana.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
